Lightning in a Bottle
by Kyro Kat
Summary: When a teenage girl is rescued from a mugging, her savior soon finds out about her dark past and the secrets it holds that may intertwine with his own. Never did he realize how important family was.
1. My Hero

"You sure you don't want a ride there?"

Kat stood on the doorstep of an old building, part apartment, part small shop. Her black leather jacket was slung lazily over her shoulder as she leaned against the rusty railing.

"No Rach. It's only a couple blocks away, and she already knows I'm comin' over." She brushed a strand of blue-dyed hair out of her face. "You worry too much."

Rachel glanced worriedly down the dark deserted street, it seemed like they were the only two living things on it.

"Okay, but don't come cryin' to me when you get mugged by a bunch of street thugs." The brunette gripped the doorknob tighter and glanced around nervously. Kat rolled her eyes and started down the city street leaving Rachel glaring after her punk friend.

She waved he hand over her shoulder. "Like I said Rach, ya worry **way **too much. I mean, come on, it's mewho we're dealin' with here!"

"That's just what I'm worried about." Rachel mumbled, closing the door and retreating into the apartment/shop, leaving Kat alone on the street with only enough light emitting from the surrounding windows to see in front of her. An echo bounced off the brick walls every time she took a step, giving the surrounding night an eerie feeling.

She pulled her iPod out of her jacket pocket and stuck the buds into her ears; she needed something to pass the time. When she turned the sleek device on, _Paramore _immediately sounded in her ears and she couldn't hear any other sounds as she turned the corner. Not even the steady footsteps coming from the darkened alley she just passed.

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Raphael jumped over the edge of a building, glad to get his anger out. _Stupid Leo! I'm glad he's gone, fact, I hope he never comes back! We're better off without him tellin' us what ta do._ Leo had been gone for over a year for training on Splinter's orders to become a better leader for their so called 'team'.

Raph had become somewhat reluctant for following some of Master Splinter's orders lately ever since Leo had left. Both of his brothers had changed ever since Leo left, Mikey hasn't been his happy, comical self, and Donny is trying to take Leo place and become their 'leader'. That's exactly what ticked Raph off, Donny trying to be leader and telling him what to do.

_Donny! Jeez, why can't any of my bros actually be normal for once?! _He thought, tugging uncomfortably at the jeans he was wearing. Master Splinter had made him put on some clothes in stead of his regular belt and knee pads, he didn't want some passing bystander to see a giant reptile scaling the rooftops.

He ran along side the outer ridge and catapulted himself onto an outcropping of a nearby cathedral, crouching next to a large stone gargoyle. Everything was quiet in this part of the city at this time of night, except for the distant rumble of cars downtown and a few crashes from different alleyways from which stray cats where jumping down from tin garbage cans. The only light came from the open windows of surrounding buildings.

Suddenly, as Raphael listened to the soothing silence of New York that rarely came, he heard a crash in a near-by alley.

"Get away from me!"

"Well, ain't you cute? Don't you agree boys? Now why don't you had over some cash so I can take 'ya on a nice romantic date."

He heard others murmur in agreement, certain that someone was about to get mugged. He rose from his outcropping and jumped to the silent building that looked over the dark alleyway. Luckily, none of the thugs heard him as Raph hopped onto a fire escape.

"I said, get away from me, bitch!" A teenage girl backed up against the wall, her hands held up in fists.

"Feisty, huh? We like that in women." The gang leader pulled out a long metal bat, hitting one hand with it as he closed in on her, his body inches away from her own. "But no one, not even a hottie like you, calls the Purple Dragons bitches."

"Well, than I'll hafta call ya douches then! Or would you prefer jackasses?" the teen snarled back at the men, getting into attack position. But before she could do anything, a trash can-sized hand appeared and grabbed her by the neck, dangling her feet above the ground. She struggled against it, trying to pry the fingers off her neck.

"Douches won't do either, sweetheart." The gang surrounded the gasping teenager and held their weapons aloft, prepared to strike, but Raph wasn't going to let that happen. He pounced from the fire escape onto one of the out skirting thugs, knocking him flat out. He pulled his sweatshirt hood up over his face so the girl wouldn't be freaked by his appearance, and tapped the leader on the shoulder.

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Kat struggled against the gang member's tight grip, almost choking herself in the process. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the Purple Dragons get bawled over by an invisible force and knocked flat out. She gasped for air as the over sized man squeezed his fist tighter and tighter around her neck, it felt as though her head might pop right off of her neck bone.

Then, someone appeared out of no where and tapped the leader on the shoulder, he spun around and charged at the stranger, trying to knock him over. Kat seized this chance to free herself from the colossal's grip since all of the other men were too preoccupied watching their leader and the masked stranger fight each other, so she kicked the man hard in the gut, making him double over and drop her on the ground. She was pretty impressed with herself, making a man twice her size double over in pain. Who knew Chuck Taylors' could be useful in a fight.

She got the chance to run over to her jacket and check the pockets to see if anything had been taken as the man fought with the gang members, he had defeated their leader and was now taking care of the rest of them. But as she sprinted over to her jacket, she slipped and stumbled to the ground, a piece of broken glass raked her shin, leaving a deep cut. A hiss of pain escaped her mouth and she clutched her cut leg, but she had to ignore it and keep going.

Kat felt the pockets for her things and found that one was empty, the one that had contained her iPod! Swearing every curse under the sun, she picked herself up off the ground and limped over to the group of battling men, picking up the unconscious leader's metal bat. A livid look obscured her face.

The nearest Purple Dragon was on the outside of the fight, helplessly trying to get into the action. Kat aimed and swung the bat, hitting the man square in the shoulder blades. He slumped to the ground without anyone noticing. She made her way through the crowd, knocking out thugs left and right. Some people would say she had some anger management problems, but hey, she _really_ wanted her iPod.

She searched for the small music player on the ground, but too much commotion was going on for her to do it thoroughly.

"Move, jackass!" Kat spat at a rather scrawny-looking thug who was blocking her path. He jumped and ran out of her reach, looking terrified. She smirked with satisfaction and moved on to the next one in line. _Now, where is it?!_ She thought, rather worried, she couldn't live without her iPod, literally.

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"Holy crap! How much do you weigh, Tiny?" Raph strained as he fought with a colossal twice his size. Beads of sweat started to drip onto his face and he helplessly tried to wipe them away with his sweatshirt sleeve, but he was too busy fighting the Purple Dragons. He had noticed that the girl had managed to get away and didn't see her anywhere, at least she got away.

He and the biggest thug were the only ones standing, everyone else was out cold on the ground. _Weird, I don't remember taken' down all of em'. _Raph thought curiously. The Purple Dragon managed to push him to the ground, and was now above him, holding a thick chain above his head.

"Come on, can't we talk this over?" Raph asked smartly from the ground. The man shook his head dumbly and was about to bring the chain down on him. But before he could, a loud, menacing crack sounded and the colossal fell to the ground beside Raph with a loud thud. There, standing over the unconscious thug, was the girl holding a metal bat in her hands. A livid look was upon her face, even if he couldn't see it that well.

The girl looked at him and her expression softened, some. She held her hand out to help him up, he almost forgot he was laying on the ground. "Now I know who 'ta thank." he muttered.

"Uh, thanks." He said finally.

"No prob, one of these jackasses took my iPod. And if they thought that they were gonna get away with it, they were wrong." The girl started to search the dark alleyway, pushing aside a few thugs here and there. Raph noticed that she was limping on one leg, and saw a small trickle of blood emerge from a tear in her jeans.

"You ok?" he asked. She glanced at him and nodded, then let out a gasp of pain when she kneeled down to pick a small object, stretching the deep gash in her shin.

"I'm okay, really." She held up a hand when he started walking towards her, Raph still came next to her and picked up what she was reaching for. It was a sleek black iPod with a neon green metallic cover coating the outside. It looked like an iPod Classic.

"Here." He said roughly, handing it to her. "Ya know, it isn't safe ta be out at this time a night."

"Well, look who's talkin', smarts." She retorted, clutching her bleeding shin while leaning against the alley wall. Raph had to bite his tongue to keep from lashing back out at her and starting an argument.

"Look, why were ya out here anyway?" he tried to change the subject. She looked up at him, a fiery spark burning in her eyes, much like the one he had when he was annoyed with someone.

"Why do **you** wanna know?" she asked him skeptically. Raph sighed, it was going to take a while to get through to this chick.

"Never mind, but we should get outta here. The sleepin' beauties are wakin' up." She giggled a little, standing up straight but clutched her leg in pain once more. "Shit," she cursed.

Raphael sighed. "Yer not gonna be able ta walk like that, especially with those Purple Dragons around. They're gonna want some pay back for what you did ta their guys." She glanced over at the unconscious men sprawled out all over the vacant alley and bit her lip feverishly. "Look, just tell me where you're goin' and I'll take ya there," It's the least he could do.

"Excuse me? I hardly know you." She noted picking up her jacket after a few moments of sharp pains from her leg. "I can get to where I need to on my own."

"Fine. Have fun gettin' mugged again. I bet next time, they'll bring heaters." He started walking back to the fire escape. She took some second thoughts. "Wait." She said weakly.

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Maybe I could use a ride home, I mean, my friends place is over four blocks away, and…." She shrugged sheepishly, as though ashamed to even consider the thought.

"Okay then, follow me." He led her up the fire escape, which she had some trouble getting up due to her leg. They climbed up onto the roof and were immediately bathed in moonlight. Raph pulled his sweatshirt hood further over his face to cover any showing skin. He looked behind him to see if the girl had followed him up and saw her well for the first time that night.

She had a slim, athletic build and was about the same height as him. She had layered blond hair with electric blue highlights, like sharp lighting bolts, that went down a little past her shoulder blades. Her clothes were composed of now ripped black skinny jeans, a light green tube top, an unbuttoned black penguin vest, and blue high-tops. A black collar with a silver jewel-encrusted oval pendant was wrapped around her neck as black studded wristbands clasped her wrists with black fingerless gloves on each hand. She had at least four or five piercings on each ear.

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Kat dusted her jeans off when she reached the rooftop, even though it was kind of useless since they were torn and bloody anyway. She looked around again, _Wait, why are we up here?_ The masked man stood a few feet away from her, staring absentmindedly up and down her figure. She rolled her eyes_._

"What, you've never seen a girl before?" she scoffed at him, annoyed. He jolted up, realizing that she actually noticed him. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"So, tell me again why we're up here?" She glanced at him and noted that his hood was up. She couldn't see any part of his face, wait, take that back, any part of his _body _for that matter. The man started to answer but was cut off by a bunch of talking and swearing from the alley below them.

"Crap." Kat cursed to herself. "They're up." The stranger seemed to notice that too because he quickened his pace towards the edge of the building. "Come on, I don't got much time ta tell ya." She ran over to him and he grasped her wrist, pulling her to the side of the roof and just as it seemed that they were about to fall over the edge, he forced her onto his back and jumped at the last minute.

Kat had to grip his shoulders to stop from falling off. She didn't expect to hop buildings to get to Charlotte's place!

"Where to?" he called over his shoulder. She had to yell at him through the wind even if he was right next to her. "Three blocks over on South Street!" he nodded. South Street was a pretty big suburban area where condos and apartment buildings intersected with the biggest shopping scene apart from Time Square and Ground Zero, perfect for a girl like Charlotte.

What seemed to last for what seemed like half an hour was really just a few minutes, they reached the building with surprising speed and next thing she knew, Kat was on the rooftop of Charlotte's apartment. She climbed off of her savior's back and onto the roof, then turned to look at him. Since he had his sweatshirt hood up, if she saw him again, she wouldn't remember by facial features.

"Um, thanks, I guess." She said, her hands clasped behind her back. The man, or teenager, (she couldn't tell) just nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.

"No problem, I couldn't let those retards mug another person off the street. It wouldn't be polite." He chuckled softly. Kat smiled and, to her surprise, stuck her hand out toward him.

"Kat." She introduced with confidence. He looked at her with surprise, but none the less, took her hand and shook it. Kat grinned and stuck her other hand into her jeans' pocket.

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"Uh, Raph." The turtle answered, shaking her gloved hand briefly before letting go. Kat smirked and nodded.

"Nice to meet ya. And, again, thanks for savin' my ass back there from those bitches." He shrugged, "Ah, it's no big deal. I gotta whoop those guys' butts every other night anyway."

She chuckled softly and turned, heading for the roof's door. "Thanks for all your help, Raph. Hey, who knows, maybe we'll see each other again sometime." She grinned at him and then turned the door's handle and walked down the steps.

Raph stood there for just a few seconds, astonished that she had that much courage after getting mugged, but snapped out of it and ran and jumped to the next building, listing the events that just happened in his head. He sighed and started to head home. _Oh, great. Now I hafta put up with Donny. _


	2. Wonder

**Sorry for the long wait and that I didn't do any author's note in the first chappie, I was a little busy to add anything! **

**Anyway, I don't own anything that is TMNT related, only my OCs: Kat and Charlotte. Rachel can count too I guess, but she's only in the first chapter. But please, READ AND REVIEW!!! I will die if you don't!!**

**P.S. "..." = talking; _italics =_ thinking and/or emphasis on words.  
**

**Enjoy the story my friends! -Kyro**

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Kat ran down the steps of the apartment building and through the halls, finally reaching an elevator. When she stepped inside and pressed the floor number Charlotte told her she was on, Kat was still sweating from the fight in the alley and running down the steps, not to mention her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, like it was about burst in her ribcage.

When the elevator door dinged and opened, she rushed out, hair and roughed up leather jacket trailing behind her. She counted the doors and when she reached number 37, Charlotte's apartment, she took one look at the door and sighed, rubbing her temple and let out a chuckled. A light pink metal sign that read: _Beware! Any who dare enter shall face the wrath of _________!_ hung on the door. Charlotte had written her name in with purple sharpie.

"Charlotte?" Kat called, opening the unlocked door and stepping inside. "Char? You there?" The very minute she said her name, Charlotte came running over and glomped her friend, her face broken into a insane smile.

"There you are! Katherine, do you not know what the term 'be here by 11:30 on the dot' means?!" she wailed pathetically. Kat rolled her eyes and started attempting prying Char's grip off of her arms. "I'm a little more concerned about how much air I'm getting in my system!" she gasped. Charlotte let go of her friend and looked at her excitedly.

"I'm _sooooo_ glad you're here Kat! I've been getting really lonely around here cause Rachel's always like 'work work work' and everyone at in_ this _building is either really old or a way-too-old-or-young-to-be-perverted collage pervert! And I _can't_ hang out with those people!" Charlotte pouted childishly, her light hazel eyes round and fixed upon Kat's exasperated expression. "Charlotte," Kat sighed, "I really don't care. I just came to stay with you till I can find a decent place to stay and raise money for my family back home, okay?"

"I know," Char hung her head tiredly, and then walked back to the couch and sat down, eyes now wide with interest as she watched the TV, somewhat intrigued. Charlotte was a slim, curvy teenager a couple months younger than Kat. She had wavy light reddish brown that touched her shoulders and light hazel eyes that almost always shone with either amusement, excitement, happiness, or curiosity. Her lips were pink and slightly plump and she had two piercings on each ear, a small hoop and a jewel stud. And of course, she was lounging in a pair of pink mini shorts and a white tank top, she always wore that.

Kat laid her leather jacket over the arm of the couch and started toward a seat to sit down in, but a sharp pain in her leg stopped her. She bit back a hiss of pain and glanced at her torn pant leg, a glint of blood shone mockingly below the denim, threatening to open the cut wider to allow more to flow. "Where's your bathroom?" she asked. "Down the hall and to the right, you can't miss it," Char replied, pointing behind her towards the hall. Kat nodded and limped toward the open door.

_Note to self, _she thought as she proceeded to wash out her wound, _it's not a good idea to sprint 3 flights of steps and 2 hallways when your leg is torn open and gushing. How the hell did I not notice?! _

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When Raphael reached the lair, he found everything the way it was when he left: Mikey watching TV, Donny in his lab still steaming about what happened earlier, Master Splinter probably meditating in his room, and Leo on a life-long vacation in South America. He took off the sweatshirt and jeans he was wearing and threw them on the ground next to the door, now only sporting his usual pads, belt, and mask. The mutant turtle then walked into the 'kitchen' and opened the fridge.

"You could pick up that sweatshirt you know." Raph heard a cold voice from behind him say. He growled, closing the fridge and turned around to see his younger brother Donatello standing across from him, arms crossed and a mixture of annoyance and hatred on his face. Raph didn't get it, Donny was usually the pacifist of the four brothers, the one to stop the fights and find a compromise, not start them and urge the on.

But that didn't stop him from trying to win.

"Look Donny, I can put my sweatshirt where ever I want. It's my place too, ya know." he growled back, his voice layered in threats. His younger brother just glared at him.

"Well some of us would like to live in a place that isn't covered in _your _filth." Don shot back. "Oh, _my_ filth?!" Raph said, getting annoyed, "You should see the crap _you_ leave around, _Donatello_."

"Guys, come on..." they heard Mikey say quietly from the couch.

Donny huffed and turned around, heading back to his lab. "Well, at least I have my smarts and don't throw them on the ground, like _some_ that I know..." he murmered just loud enough for Raph to hear. _That's it!_ Raph thought. He jumped over the table and ran at his younger brother, who turned around to find a fist coming staight for his face.

"That's enough!"

Both froze, Raph's fist centimeters from Don's face, and Donny's hand reaching for his bo staff. "Stop this boys!" Master Splinter said from the doorway to his room, a stern look on his furry face. "This is getting out of hand!" Both turtles' hands pointed at each other. "Donny kept provoking me!" "Raph's annoying me!" "_You're _the one that called me stupid, brainiac!!" "_You're _the one that leaves stuff all over and breaks my things!!"

"_STOP!!"_ Both froze again, glaring heatedly at each other. "You are brothers! You are not to act like this around each other, even if the other does something wrong, you do not fight to solve the problem!" their Master said sternly. "Now apologize and we will discuss this later."

"Sorry," Donny mumbled quietly, looking away. Raph just stood and glared, hands balled up in fists considering to punch his brother. "Whatever..." And he turned and jumped up to the second level of their home, walking to his room and punched his punching bag so hard that it swung threateningly and knocked over a few things next to it, sending them crashing to the floor. "Stupid Donny," he mumbled, "stupid Leo." He fell onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He could hear the subway above him, looking at his alarm clock he saw that it was the 1 am shift, the last shift of the night.

Raph sighed and looked back at the ceiling, then, his thoughts wandered back to the fight in the alley and Kat, the girl he had saved. _Who the hell is she?_ he thought, picturing the spunky blond punk in his head. _She's not a normal teenager, I can tell. Wait...how can I tell? _He wondered, how could he tell? It's not like there was a sign flashing 'not normal' above her head. But, something about that necklace she was wearing, with the silver pendant, something was different about it.

_Again, _he thought, _who is she? _

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Kat stepped out of the bathroom and into the TV room, where Charlotte was still sprawled out on the couch, chugging Coca-Cola. Yawning, she looked at the clock in the kitchen, 20 past 1.

"Hey Char, where's your spare bedroom?" she said to the couch, she couldn't see Charlotte. "What?! Since when does Katherine Michaels turn in at 1:30 in the morning?!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I thought you were gonna watch Family Guy with me!" Kat chuckled. "I had a long night, okay?" Char huffed, defeated.

"Fine. It's down the hall and to your left, across from mine." "Thanks." She once again walked down the hall and into the spare room, flopping down on the twin. Kat turned onto her back and stared out of the window. The lights from the city twinkled in the distance like little stars in the night sky. She sighed.

"How am I gonna pull this off?" she murmered. Then, her thoughts drifted to the fight in the alley and the guy that saved her, Raph. _Who is he?_ she thought.

_Who the hell is he?_

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**Done with the second chapter! I'm SO proud of myself. **

**OK, so no romantic feelings just yet people. They're just wondering who the hell the other is (even if they already introduced themselves.).**

**I'll try and update as soon as I can, but I can't promise anything._ Stupid summer stuffs_.... But anyway, REVIEW PLEEZ!!!**

**-Kyro  
**


	3. Coffee Cravings

**Sorry for the wait, really! I just got back from a long vacation and didn't have a lot of time to update. But please enjoy this chappie!**

**Disclaimer: Kyro don't own TMNT, just Kat and Charlotte, 'kay?  
**

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Kat woke up to find herself tangled up in the sheets on the edge of the bed, sunlight streaming through the open window and into her face. Her features scrunched up in displeasure, Kat then promptly fell off the bed and onto the cream-colored carpet, her face now pressed against the floor. "_Why me?..._" she murmured pitifully from the ground as she proceeded to untangle herself from the sheets' clutches.

Once she was out (15 minutes later...), she was awake with the sun boring down on her. Now that her skin was all sweaty from the blankets heat and the sun's rays, Kat decided to take a shower since she hadn't in a total of three days. Grabbing her brush and shampoo, she walked across the hallway and into the bathroom where she stayed for 20 minutes showering, drying, brushing, blow-drying, and brushing again. Kat didn't take long in the morning like some girls did, like Charlotte. She wrapped a lavender towel around her slim figure and sauntered back into her room, opened her black and green duffel bag, and grabbed her clothes, putting them on after drawing the shades at the window.

Kat's outfit today consisted of black cargo shorts that reached her knees with a thigh-length silver chain protruding from the pocket, a bright blue T-shirt that read _Rebel _on the front in roughed up black bold lettering. Her low navy Chucks with black laces covered her feet and her usual pair of black fingerless gloves fitted her hands. Pulling on her black studded wristbands and black collar with her silver pendant, she walked out of her room and into the apartment's main room.

When she clipped her collar onto her neck, her pendant swung and momentarily hit the light shining through the tall window. Even though she's had it ever since she was 6 years old, it still caught her eye and somehow kept that sheen to it, as though it were brand new. It was a gift from her father, a pure silver oval-shaped pendant just a bit bigger than a quarter, a sapphire lightning bolt shining in the center with flecks of white, purple, green, and black when it hit the light. The very edges of it were lined with a thin streak of sparkling obsidian.

It was her most precious possession, even more then her iPod (yes!). She loved it more than anything else she's ever had and will ever have, not for it's quality or how much it's worth, which is a lot dare I say, but for the most important person in her entire life: her dad. He granted it to her when she was very small, only 6 years, for a birthday present. It came in a small cardboard box with _To my little Kitty Kat _printed in blue cursive on the top. Like most would, she assumed it would be junk, something worthless since it came in a cardboard packing box, but it wasn't.

Her father told her _'Do not to assume things for what they appear to be, for they may be the most loved and important things you will ever have in your life.' _

And so, she opened the box and remembered squealing with delight when he tied the little black lace necklace around her neck. That was one of the happiest days of her life. Even her older brother was a bit jealous.

Kat smiled as she stared at the small thing, twisting it around in her palm so it would catch the light once more. But the smile almost instantly faded when a picture of her dad appeared in her head. She sighed and dropped the pendant so it fell and bounced off her neck.

A light snore sounded from down the hallway when she started boiling the water for coffee. _Char must still be asleep, _Kat thought when the snore grew louder. She started digging around in the cabinets to find that Charlotte didn't have any coffee, or creamer, not that she liked it. All she really found was junk food, instant raman, opened cans of soda, bread, peanut butter, and frozen vegetables.

Kat frowned, an annoyed growl rumbled in her throat. Kat needed coffee in the morning, or some kind of caffeinated drink. So, she went back to her room and grabbed her black cargo hat and leather jacket, plus her small army green messenger bag which contained her laptop and other necessities, such as money. After slapping her cap on her head and the bag over her shoulder, she walked out of the apartment building and onto the bustling streets. It was about 9:30 in the morning, meaning that a lot of workers were rushing to get to their jobs on time. Trotting briskly down the street, Kat narrowly missed a few people as they ran by her, and almost had hot coffee and tea spilled on her if she hadn't swerved out of the way in time.

As she was walking around the block her stomach gave a low groan. She sighed and kept walking, but felt the effects of morning hunger grow with every step until the sweet scent of lattes and pastries reached her nostrils. Her stomach growled even louder then as the smell grew closer. Across the street, Kat noticed, was a small cafe with people bustling in and out of the door with steaming cups and pastries in their hands. Her stomach obviously sensed this because it rumbled so loud that a couple passing workers stared at her oddly. Having no choice but to go 'refuel her engine', Kat rushed across the street and proceeded towards the small cafe.

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Raphael opened his eyes sleepily and stared at the ceiling until he felt awake enough to actually lift himself from his bed and stand up. It was 9:30, surprisingly early for him.

The turtle trudged out of his room and on to the second level to see that Master Splinter was up watching his 'stories'. Mikey was snoring on the couch and it seemed like Donny was in his workshop. Raph scowled at the thought of his younger brother, trying the take on the spot Leo never had. When will they figure out that he doesn't want to be told what to do?! His anger bubbling inside of him like Splinter's hot tea, Raph jumped down to the first level and grabbed his sweatshirt and pants that were lying on the table.

Splinter looked over his shoulder to see his son pulling on the red sweatshirt and black pants, only to sigh. Ever since the eldest Leonardo left, their home had been nothing but chaos. Raphael and Donatello always fought with each other, and their youngest sibling, Michelangelo, had always been in the middle of it all. Their father longed for his sons' safety, especially Leonardo's since he hadn't responded to them in almost a year. All of them worried, even if they didn't show it.

The old rat's eyes glazed over in sorrow and worry as he sent a silent prayer that his family would stay together, somehow. And that his young sons would stay safe, for the old rat knew that hard times were ahead. Somehow, he just knew. And hopefully, oh the old rat hoped with all his heart...

That his sons would be prepared for the hardships that they would soon face.

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Raph walked out of the lair and up to the abandoned warehouse were they kept all of their vehicles and some of Donny's 'toys'. But he past all of the others and headed straight for one: his crimson red motorcycle that he always kept in top condition. It seemed like his only friend that really understood.

Quickly polishing the chassis, he hopped on and revved the engine so it echoed throughout the whole warehouse. He always loved that sound. Opening the door, he drove out onto the open street immediately met by mid-morning traffic. _Shit..._ he thought and pulled his hood over his more so no one would see any exposed skin. Even if most didn't like it, all of the honking and yelling from the drivers woke him up and he was kind of thankful for it.

Deciding to take a short cut, the disguised turtle turned into an alley way and drove around the block were the traffic wasn't as bad. Back on the street, he heard his stomach rumble slightly, then quite forcefully. He groaned, but then spotted the little local cafe ahead of him. The one that Donny always asked April to get him coffee at. Deciding to give it a try, Raph parked his bike, filled the meter, and jumped off on to the slightly busy sidewalk.

The sweet smell of cappuccinos and donuts drifted out of the open window as he grew closer to the small shop, driving him towards it. He was so hungry and intrigued by the scent, that he didn't even notice the person walking straight at him, right in the lane of direct contact. But before he could look up to dodge out of the way, they hit each other with enough force that it sent both to the ground.

"_Ow." _Raph muttered rubbing the sore shell that promptly hit the ground on contact. At once he checked that his hood was still on his head, and thankfully, it was. He let out a sigh of relief, still rubbing his throbbing shell. Just as he was getting up to help, then yell '_watch where your goin' klutz!'_ in the person that bumped into him's face, he heard something, someone. He froze.

"_Raph?"_

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**Hope it wasn't too short, I didn't a lot of time to really fill things in. **

**By the way, I would like to thank Diva Danielle for the wonderful comment she sent me. That really gave me inspiration to write this chapter and many more on the future. **

**Thanks bunches Danny! I love your story and I hope you continue with it.**

**I would also like to thank all you that have been reviewing and reading, thanks! I will try and post the next chapter as soon as I can!  
**


	4. Career path

**Don't worry, I'm not dead! I just had some writers block, that's all. So you can all breath!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, only Kat. Ok?**

**Please enjoy this chappie, by the way, the song is _Hello Hello _by Paramore.  
**

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Raph looked up and felt his golden eyes widen. Only one thing went through his mind: is this even possible?!

"K-Kat?" He managed out. Yep, it was her. The same blond and blue teenager he helped last night. He could even see the gash on her shin scabbed over. The look on her face was pure astonishment, her icy orbs wide and glossy. Her expression then suddenly changed to suspicion and her eyes narrowed.

"Are you stalking me?" she questioned slowly. The disguised reptile was taken aback. "What?" he asked.

"I said, are you stalking me?" Kat repeated, "How else would we just 'conveniently bump into each other other'? And with you wearing the same thing..." she crinkled her nose in disgust.

"I, uh, have multiple pairs...yeah. And how do I know that you're not stalking me?" Raph fired back.

"I just came to get some coffee, you idiot." The same spark that was it her eyes last night was back. And blazing.

"You should be nicer to the guy who rescued your annoying little ass! And I came for a coffee too, for your information."

"And who said I needed help?"

"Were you not the chick that screamed?!"

"I didn't scream, and I certainly didn't scream for help!"

"Right..."

"Do you want a broken arm?!"

Raph was on his feet and Kat was bristling. Not to mention they were earning a few hard stares from the passing. Raph was mentally hitting himself, why did he have such a short temper?

"Whatever. I need some coffee." Kat walked briskly past him and into the small cafe. He huffed angrily and was about to walk away from the small shop but then felt something touch his foot. He looked down to see Kat's black hat on the ground. "Must of dropped it," he guessed. He frowned, "But why should I give it back to _her._" Yet again his stomach growled in hunger as the scent of fresh coffee wafted out of the open door. He groaned and grabbed the hat off the ground.

He walked up to the counter, deciding to order a cappuccino with and extra shot, then turning away to find the fiery blond who's hat he was holding. He saw her huskily sipping a cup of coffee at a table in the back of the cafe, eyes dark. Never a good sign, of course he would know.

"Um, hey, you dropped ya hat." he rushed, dropping it on the table. She nodded and put it on her head, still staring darkly at the slowly decreasing bubbles inside her coffee cup. Raph looked around and realized that all of the other seats were taken. Well, all except one.

He sat down across from Kat, pulling his hood further over his head. "What are you doing?" he heard in front of him. Kat was looking at him, brow furrowed annoyingly.

"Well, excuse me. Was this seat taken?" She just huffed and pulled her hat lower over her face so only her protruding lip was visible. He chuckled and took another sip.

"Sooo..."

"......"

"I guess the most stereotypical question would be, uh, what brings ya to the Big Apple?" That was the first thing that popped into his head.

"Why?" Raph glanced up again. Kat was looking at him curiously, like all of her anger had vanished. He thought for a moment. "Uh, isn't that what all people are supposed ta ask each other in New York?" She gave a muted giggle.

"Eh, good enough. I'm here for money."

"Like jobs?"

"Yeah. It's for my family."

"Supportin', huh?"

"Had no choice. Came home one day to find my bags packed up on the floor and my mom sitting at the table looking at bills. You can guess what happened after that." She sighed and rested her chin on her hand. "Problem is I don't know what job I should try for."

"Well, whatcha good at?" Kat just shot him a dark glare. "What?"

"That's what everybody says when I ask them that." He raised a ridge, even if she couldn't see it. "Well, isn't that what everyone's suppose ta ask when ya tell 'em that?" He got answered with another furrowed brow and angry huff.

"My friends say I'm a good musician. Ya know, singin' and stuff." Kat took another sip of coffee. A sly smirk crept onto Raph's face.

"Let's hear it then." She stared at him like he was insane. He twirled his gloved hand as a motion to go on.

Kat blinked. "Here? Now?!" She looked around at all the people.

"When else are ya gonna do it?" She sighed.

"Fine. But you can't laugh. I'm no that good."

He snorted. "Don't worry, if you suck, I'll let ya know." Kat rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks,"

"Well, go ahead." Kat sighed, she had no choice. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe.

_"Hello, hello, is anyone home?_

_Hello, hello, just pick up the phone._

_I opened up my life to you_

_I've told you everything I knew_

_You listen so close_

_You listen so close when love was just a way out_

_But you're going deaf now_

_Yeah you've turned your head around_

_Hello, hello, is anyone home?_

_Hello, hello, just pick up the phone._

_You'll be sorry to hear, I'm doing fine now._

_Sorry to hear, you're without me now._

_You blew up the world I built for us_

_Destroyed our secret universe_

_Threw out the trust I put in you_

_Making me feel like I'd been used_

_And now I'm reminded_

_That I was just blinded._

_Hello, hello, is anyone home?_

_Hello, hello, just pick up the phone._

_You'll be sorry to hear, I'm doing fine now._

_Sorry to hear, you're without me now._

_I'm doing fine, you'll be alright_

_Maybe you'll think of me tonight..._

_You're doing fine, I'll be alright_

_Just give me time, yeah..._

_Hello, hello, is anyone home?_

_Hello, hello, just pick up the phone._

_I don't want to hear you're doing fine_

_Don't wanna hear I'm without you now._

_I'm without you now."_

When Kat stopped singing, she heard silence. At first she thought everyone had left, but when she opened her eyes and looked around, she found that everyone was just looking at _her._ Including Raph, even if she couldn't see his face. She automatically felt her face heat up from all the impenetrable stares she was earning from the cafe. How did so many people fit in such a small coffee shop?!

"Kat?" Her tunnel vision snapped from her unintentional audience to the one the song was actually directed to.

"What?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"That was...uh..." She blushed even more if it was possible. "It was what?"

"Amazing." Ok, her cheeks just went off the color palette. "It wasn't that good." she muttered pulling her hat lower over her face and let the loose strands of her bangs cover her features.

Raph snorted again. "I said I wouldn't lie to ya' about it." Kat just hunched her back and looked at the ground in embarrassment. But Raph wasn't lying. He was telling the truth. When that girl opened her mouth, you wouldn't believe the sound that was coming out of it. Better than anything he had ever heard, although this is coming from a turtle that had lived in the sewers pretty much his whole life. But they had radio!

They heard a soft clink on the wooden table and Kat looked up. Next to her empty cup was a dollar coin, and walking away from their table was a middle age woman closing her wallet. It may only be a dollar, but, Kat was awed. She barley even did anything and some stranger just gave her money. Money!

"And you don't think you're good." Raph chuckled, sipping the last of his coffee.

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**Read and Review please! Pwetty pwease? **

**- Kyro**


	5. A Walk in the Park

**Sorry, I've been awol for a bit. So much to do, so little time. **

**Anyway, here's the next installment of LiaB! (that's what I'm gonna call it, kay?) Hope you like.**

**Disclaimer: TMNT/to the amazing people who created them, certainly not me.**

**Kat and Charlotte/Meh**

* * *

Over 5 blocks away, a bell jingled in the door of an old comic and movie store. Charlotte breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of old, musty, priceless copies of X-Men and the Justice League. Ah....

She walked up to the front desk, her reddish curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Uh, 'scuse me, I called earlier for the _Space Crusaders: The Final Destination _movie. Do you have it?" The guy looked up from his Batman comic and pointed at a aisle in the corner of the store.

"Over there. We've got the whole set, movies, comics, action figures, PEZ di-" The teen cut him off by rushing over to the said shelves and practically bawling over other shoppers on the way.

She nearly fainted when she got there.

"Ohmygawdohmygawdohmygawd!! I think I died and went to heaven..." Charlotte grinned madly, eyes bulging.

"I feel that." She spun around to find a guy around her age drooling over a specially marked action figure. He was layered in sweat pants, a white shirt and bright orange jacket. She couldn't see his face since it was obscured by a baseball cap and hood.

The guy looked up at her curious face and smiled, at least she thought he did. "Ain't it obvious?" he said in a surfer accent, a gloved hand gesturing toward the piled comics and DVDs.

Charlotte blinked. "What? You're a fan too?" The guy laughed, like it was a stupid question to ask. "Yeah, I am. Are you?"

_"_Why else would I be here?" The ginger rolled her eyes.

He picked up the action figure, flipping over the package to survey the price. "Well, its just I've never known a girl that's a fan of Space Crusaders. Heck, I don't even know anyone besides me that likes Space Crusaders." A dramatic gasp escaped Char's pink lips.

"What?!"

* * *

Kat slapped her hat onto her head and started towards Central Park. Her bag was slung over her shoulder containing her laptop, iPod, Red Bull; all the essentials.

About ten minutes ago, she had finished talking with her stalker and watched him drive away on his motorcycle. And by stalker, she meant Raph. Or, whoever the hell he was.

She sighed. Man she was stupid.

"You could make a livin' outta that ya' know," he had said. Kat had responded to him by comically raising an brow. He chuckled.

"I'm not cut out for that crap, all the attention and fame." she once again directed her gaze in front of her. "I'm not exactly what you would call a 'people person', per say." Another snort. "Obviously." he commented.

Kat scowled. "Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she growled.

"Does it seem like it?" Raph shrugged, but he ended up wandering towards a crimson bike anyway. A loud roar erupted as he blared the full engine. She rolled her eyes and stalked away.

And here she was, lounging in the grasses of Central Park. The only reasonable thing to do now was pull out the old music-maker and relax, besides it was only noon. She had killed a fair amount a time.

She stuck the earphones in and hit play, it seemed as though every time she did that, it calmed her down. Ah, music. It was her comfort, always has been ever since she was little.

Kat stared up at the fluffy white masses floating against a sea of blue, taking shapes that, as she realized a while back, never took a the shape of anything. It's just the mind's way of having fun, imagining images to preoccupy itself. The music suddenly didn't seem as loud.

She let herself flop down and lay in the soft grass, the green acting as a comfy pillow. She let her mind wander freely, to float, just like one of the clouds up in the sky. The tunes seemed softer yet again.

Something floated into her mind, an image. An image of a small girl sprinting through woods and fields and flowers. She was laughing, jumping....dancing. The child flopped down into a bed of wildflowers and began to roll and create angels in the foliage. She began to squeal with glee as two big hands swooped down and proceeded to tickle her. The music grew fainter.

The little girl wriggled underneath the man's grasp, kicking and shoving in between fits of laughter. The man stopped and fell down beside her, laughing huskily, his deep blue eyes twinkling. The music became barely audible.

The girl looked up at the sky at the white clouds above their heads and giggled when the man held out a large sunflower in front of her face. The girl's icey blue eyes glowed and sparkled. Her sun bleached hair was twisted and tangled with daisies and irises, their blooms falling in her face.

The music was gone. The world suddenly became silent. And just as the music went, so did Kat's consciousness. She began to drift into a light sleep.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_"...And here they come, trying to save the world..." _

Charlotte was very happy. She had found the thing she was looking for at the comic shop and now was heading towards her favorite restaurant to pick up some pizza.

Ah, she loved Saturdays. She loved their name, their timing, the way everything seemed to happen on Saturdays. Not to mention how many sales were on Saturdays.

"_...just in time, the Powerpuff Girls!"_

The smell of fresh dough and baked toppings hit her nostrils like a wave from the sea. She sighed and looked up at the menu. She had only found this place about a month ago, and she had moved to New York City about two months ago.

"So, what do you wanna get?" a voice beside her said as they walked through the doors.

"How does a triple cheese, sausage, and garlic sound?"

Her partner licked his lips and rubbed his stomach. "Sounds awesome! But can we add some macaroni to that?"

"Why not?"

The pair sat down in a booth and ordered, the middle-aged man stalking away, grumbling something about 'kids these days'. If you hadn't guessed, Char was with the guy she met at the comic shop. They started talking and found out that they liked a lot of the same things, like comics and pizza for instance. He told her that his name was Mikey.

She thought that was kinda cute. A guy named Mikey.

"So, Charlotte." he said after a few minutes' silence, "You like Saturday Night Live?"

"BOY DO I!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

"Ugh.....what time is it?"

Katherine yawned loudly and stretched her arms until a small _pop_ could be heard from her shoulders. When her hand swerved back and touched the ground, she met a soft feathery texture that felt like goose down.

Her eyes opened slowly, only to be blinded a fresh ray of sunlight peeking through the tree branches. She was still in the park.

Kat's gloved hand came and shielded the light from her face. As she looked around, a curious glint appeared in her sharp eyes.

She wasn't in the park......was she?

She was outside, that was for sure, but definitely not Central Park. For one, the grass in New York _wasn't blue. _Let alone a _royal_ blue. And the trees, they were definitely not black. That was, unless she was color blind.

She stood up and observed her surroundings a bit more closely. The forest's trees were tall and thin with jet black bark that was smooth to the touch, not rough and jagged like you would expect them to be. Their leaves were circular, but with a point, and seemed to look like paper, only and light turquoise color instead.

The grass was, like she said, a deep royal blue. It was like feathers, and didn't rustle or sway when Kat felt a soft breeze hit her face. When she looked up, there was no visible sky, the tall trees seemed to create a canopy father up. Only small rays peeked through holes here and there.

"W-where am I?...." a shallow whisper cut through her teeth.

A bubbling was heard from behind her, a creek. It's crystal clear water reflected Kat's image back up at her. A hand reached down to prod the gurgling liquid only to yank it back. It was frigid. Ice cold.

From across the stream, a dark figure was watching the teenage girl in the shadows of the dark trees. Their deep blue eyes flicking back and forth, taking in her every move.

Kat stood up, suckling her freezing finger. About to change directions and go and find a way out of this creepy forest, a rustling across from her caught her attention. A shadow moved silently behind the tall trees.

"H-hello?...." Kat peered over, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever it was.

She wasn't alone, someone else was here.

Someone was watching her.

"Hello?" she repeated, stronger this time. "Is anyone there?"

No answer.

"I won't hurt you......." she sweat-dropped. Not exactly the most truthful statement on her part....

"Please come out." The shape moved out from behind the tree, it's aqua eyes gazing at her. "That's it....." she kept going.

The figure came closer, and closer. Almost to the edge of the stream till it was only a few feet in front of her. They stepped into a small ray of sunlight.

Kat gasped, her eyes widened.

_No, no. It can't be....it's impossible......but those eyes. Those dark blue, shining eyes...._

"D-dad?"

* * *

**Yay! Cliff-hanger people, don't ya' just love those?**

**Read and Review? Please?!  
**


	6. Visions

_God damn......_

Raph started to grind his teeth. One of the only things he never really liked about New York was the traffic that always blocks up the West end. All he wanted to do drive freely, not get choked up on a bunch of gas blowing in his face.

He sighed. About ten minutes ago, he was chatting with girl his age that he could actually relate to. Well, he probably could relate to her if she wouldn't get on his nerves most of the time. Even though they've only met twice, he bet that's what would happen. Again.

"Wonder where she went...." his three-fingered-gloved-hand tapped at his red helmet. _Oh, look. We're moving. _His crimson bike lurched forward. _Inch by inch by inch...._

Back at the cafe, the turtle really was amazed. From what he heard on the TV, radio, Mikey, and Casey and April, most teen girls these days would do that kind of stuff in public. Well, not sing like that. That was Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin kinda singing with all those crescendos and decrescendos.. **(Um, let's just say Splinter listens to them on the radio and Raphie will listen in sometimes....? 8|)**

"Come on, come on.......I DON'T GOT ALL DAY!!" That remark earned Raphael a boatload of furious glares and annoyed looks from the surrounding drivers. "What?!" he shot back at a cursing middle-aged woman next to him. Suddenly, a buzz in his sweat-shirt pocket captured his attention. He pulled out the shell cell and looked at the caller ID.

_Casey J. _

"This better be good Casey..." Raph flipped the small device open and stuck it under his helmet. "Yeah?"

_"Raph! Hey bud, how ya doin'?" _

Raph sighed. "Case...why are ya' callin'?"

_"Well, I was just thinkin' that we could go out and crack some skulls later. You in? Splinter said it was fine, fact, he said you could use it..." _

"Yeah, whatever. Jus- wait. You asked Splinter? And he said I could?"

_"Yep, he encouraged it." _

'Wha--why?"

_"I really have no idea, man.........so, you in?" _

"It was Don, bet ya'."

_"Raph, you in or what?" _

"Donny told Splinter somethin', didn't he?"

_"Dude, just show up at my building later, 'kay?"_

"Oh, genius boy is gonna get a bruised shell if he did..."

_"Ok........see ya later man." _And Casey was gone, leaving Raph to puddle in his own thoughts of whooping his younger brother's sorry, smart ass shell.

* * *

"D-dad?"

The mirror of her father just stared back at her, his dark blue eyes dark and......empty. He looked the same as he did the day he died, a forest green blazer and baggy bleached jeans with his black Vans. His dirty blond hair was still ruffled, sticking up at odd angles and always falling in his face, just like the day he died.

Kat didn't understand. Her dad was gone. She watched him go, his flame was gone. How could he be here, looking right at her?

A ghost? Phantom? Or just her imagination's idea of a sick joke? He couldn't be real, right? Right?

"Daddy....." Her hand found its way up to her mouth, covering it as she watched the image of her father take a step forward toward her. His mouth opened, but no voice came. He tried again, nothing. He strained. Then, Kat realized what he was doing.

He was trying to tell her something.

"W-what?" she removed her hand. He took another step, nearing the edge. His lips started moving, trying to form words. She tried to understand him, read his lips, but she had no such luck.

"I-I'm sorry. I can't understand you." She managed out. His hand reached out, as though trying to touch her. She started moving forward, trying to touch him, to see if he was real. Closer and closer to the water's edge. When she glanced up, she looked straight into his eyes.

A deep ocean of blue, but that twinkle that was always in her father's eyes was gone. It was just opaque, no shine or glint. Just a solid color full of grief and worry. Loss.

Loss of love. Of his daughter.

"Daddy, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She started to tremble as she cried out to him, louder and sadder with each one. "Please dad! Please help me! I'm sorry! Help me daddy! Ever since you left things just got worse! Aaron a-and mom! T-they...Aaron left! And mom started doing things and I-I couldn't stop her! Please dad, help me! I don't know what to do! I've tried to do what you said, b-but I can't! It's hard with what's going on. I've tried dad! Please, I don't know what to do without you daddy, please!"

He just stared. and small, sad smile forming slowly on his face. Kat took another step, trying to reach him.

Another step, nearing the edge. He did the same.

Another one, nearly on the edge of the icy water. She tried harder to reach him.

Another step, Kat was teetering on the edge, about to fall, but she didn't care. She gave one more push to touch the man she hadn't touched in nine years.

The soft ground under her gave out and she fell into the chilling waters of the stream, immediately surrounded be darkness.

_"My little girl...."_

She looked around, searching for the mirror of her father, but no one was there.

Once again, she was alone in the dark.

Suddenly, the nothing world around her was splattered with red and the stench of smoke and blood filled her nostrils, making her eyes water. Sounds of screaming and yelling started, followed by gunshots and the rev of engines.

Kat began to hurt. Feeling cuts and bruises scatter across her skin. The searing pain of slashes and kicks at her limbs made her yell, scream in agony.

She began to hear people calling her name, men and women, yelling at her. Screaming for her to get out, to run.

To stay alive.

The noises and smells became so overwhelming Kat couldn't stand it anymore. She started screaming even louder when she felt a cold, sharp metal tear ruthlessly across her skin, leaving a burning, bloody gash in it's place.

When she looked down and grabbed her thigh, nothing was there, just black fabric. But she felt it, the blood and the missing chunk of flesh. The murderous feeling that made her scream in pain.

She yelled and begged for it all to stop.....and it did.

Her vision of blood and pain was replaced by a huge full moon, right in front of her. So close, you could touch it. The searing pain and bruises were gone, and everything went quiet. Suddenly, a voice rang out in the deafening calm. A familiar voice yelling in pain, worry, sadness, anger, and....loss. All those feeling mixed into one word that rang in her ears.

"KAT!!"

* * *

Her eyes flashed open, blinking in the moonlight.

Kat bolted upright, feeling the ground beneath her. Not soft or feather-like. She was back in Central Park.

A large crescent moon, floated above her, it's bright light blinding her. She must have fallen asleep, cause according to her phone, it was past Midnight.

"A long nap..." she realized, her iPod was still on. It lost battery though.

Kat thought about the dream, about dad, about that.......vision.

About the voice screaming her name.

She had no scratches of bruises, or long gashes.

After a long while of thinking, Kat found herself curled up in a ball, crying.

And that's how the police found her later.

Crying in Central Park.

* * *

**Read and review! **

**Kind of a dark chapter in my opinion, but I had fun writing it.**

**TMNT/ Mirage.....Nickaloadeon**

**Kat and Char/ Me**

**Come again!  
**


	7. Arrested?

**Hey, hey! **

**I know some of you are ganging up on me to update more often, and I completely understand. When some authors don't update their stories a lot, I get edgy too. **

**But, just for the record, and unfortunently, I'm a.....procrastinator.**

**Truly horrible right? But hey, I can't help who I am. But, with some chatting from a friend, I will try my hardest to update LiaB once a week. If I can't, I'll let you know ahead of time. **

**Anyway, on with the story! I hope this satisfies your thirst!**

**Kat, Charlotte, and Torie are mine. **

**TMNT is Mirage.**

* * *

It was three in the morning and Katherine had found herself a way into the NYPD station downtown. Why?

Two cops had found her curled up in a fetal position bawling her eyes out in the middle of Central Park about 2 hours ago.

_Just my luck....._She felt so embarrassed. So......weak. _So, this is my first impression on this city. A teenage girl that likes sleeping and screaming like a banshee smack dab in the middle of public parks....hope they can't check my records back home from here. _

A young cop walked up to her, the one that drove her here. She was black, with silky dark brown hair cut short to her chin. Kat looked up into her almond eyes, almost too scared to speak. Almost.

"Well, what's the verdict?"

"The verdict is, you're an 18 year old teenager bawlin' ya' eyes out in the middle o' New York City at 2 in da' mornin'! What the hell was goin' through yo' mind, girl?!"

Kat had to laugh. The cop grinned and chuckled, shaking her head. She sat down next to her, and set the clipboard on her lap. The cop sighed, taking off her hat and slapping it on Kat's head.

"Listen, hon. You're a good kid. I can tell. But you were right in da' middle o' gang territory. If we hadn't gotten there in time, you woulda' been dead meat."

"Thanks, that's settling. Now I'll never go out side again." The cop rolled her eyes.

"My name's Torie, what's yours?" Torie's brown eyes smiled.

"Katherine. But you can call me Kat." The blond looked up at the brunette curiously. "Can you answer just one question?"

"Sure, sweet cheeks. Shoot."

Sweet cheeks? Kat huffed but went on. "Why are you acting like this to me? I thought you would be all '_You should be ashamed of yourself young lady! Wait till your parents hear about this!' _and stuff. Or are you on special orders to be nice to the delinquent or something?" The girl's icy blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.

A splutter and outburst of laughter escaped the cop as she clutched her stomach. Kat huffed again. "What?"

"Oh, girl. You're a knockout! Literally." Torie gasped for breath, wiping away the tears from her eyes. Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"A knockout? Uh, thanks...?" she ran her fingers through her blue-blond bangs, still awaiting an answer.

"Well......NO, 'course I'm not doin' orders! Hon, I'm just tryin' to be hospitable. You were found cryin' in the middle o' Central Park, why in hell wouldn't I be nice to ya'?"

_She has a point..._Kat thought, somewhat ashamed, _If Charlotte ever finds out about this, she'll never let me live it down.....ugh._

"So, Torie....." she struggled to start a decent conversation, but that was kind of hard when you were in a police station full of cops and unjailed criminals and gang members, well, at least they were tied up, right? "Uh, how long have been in the force?"

"Huh, ya' know, no one's really asked me that before. But I guess you'd be the one ta' start!" Another whooping laugh was let loose, causing a few cops talking around the main entrance glance awkwardly at the pair. Kat sighed, this chick was a character, wasn't she?

"I've only just started couple months ago," Torie's laughing died down and she proceded to answer the question. "but I'm makin' my way up to the big dogs pretty quick, so Watson better watch his back!" A low growl rumbled in her throat.

"I'm guessing that you aren't fond of Watson, are you?"

"Damn right, I'm not! That man's been a pain in ma' neck ever since I got here! He's got a grudge or somethin', and ever since he got assistant to the sheriff, he's been gloatin' and rubbin' it in ma' face for weeks!" Torie's face had grown a slight red tinge to it.

Kat struggled not to burst out laughing. "S-so, why haven't you done anything about it?"

"Oh, I have sweet cheeks, I'm workin' my way on up the ranks till I'm right under the trash, and then, POW! Right in his ass-kissin' pie hole!"

"Could you please stop calling me 'sweet cheeks'?"

"Ya' don't like it?"

"I've never really liked nicknames."

"Why? If ya' think about it, Kat's a nickname."

"Yeah, well, it's shorter, and easy to say. Besides my dad called me that, right after I was born. So it stuck." Kat's breath hitched, she bit the inside of her lip. Hard. But she barely noticed.

Dad...

"Kat? You okay?" Torie waved a hand in front of the girl's face. She shook her head.

"Sorry, this thing's been happening to me lately...." The cop frowned, gazing worriedly at the blond next to her.

"What kind of thing?" Her voice was serious, and her face didn't move. She had completely changed character in a matter of seconds. "Kat. What kind of thing?"

"N-nothing bad! It's not important, okay? Don't wor-"

"Torie, miss...uh...."

"Katherine."

"Katherine. Boss has ordered to take you home. So if you'll come wi-"

"Wait, I'm not in trouble?" Kat was stunned.

"Well, there's no serious charges from sleeping in a public park at night. It's just dangerous in this city, all we can tell you is to be careful and not do it again." The cop looked at Torie. "You can take her, Tor."

"What?! You got no right to tell me what to do, Watson!" she spat out his name like it was a bad word.

"I'm higher than you, Martin. You'll do what you're told. NOW. Deal with it." Watson walked away, his head held high with arrogance.

"Wow." Kat stood up and watched him snap at relaxing cops and slam an office door behind him. "He really is a jerk, isn't he?"

"You bet ya' pretty lil' ass he is."

The pair slithered their way through an erupting crowd of police officers at the main gate to get to the cars. They ended up getting jostled into the wall by what seemed like a struggle in the middle of the bunch, yelling and curses were heard along side the cracked sound of punches and kicks.

Kat thought of the vision. The echoes of a struggle.

"What the hell is going on?" she nudged Torie's shoulder. The cop shrugged, but pulled her along the wall, inching toward the door.

A sickening crack echoed throughout the whole building: a cop had been thrown into a wall, leaving a broken and dusty pile of limbs and wallpaper. An indent in the plaster left it's mark.

"Oh my god." Torie gasped and ran toward the injured figure. Kat followed her quietly, trying to get a quick glimsp of what all the comotion was about.

In the center of the shocked crowd, four smirking, and frighteningly framiliar figures stood. Their punk clothing and peirced faces spotted with blood. And the tattoo on each of their bodies was unmistakable.

Purple Dragons.

And the same ones that jumped her a few nights ago.

And unfourtunently, they appeared to remember that as well.

* * *

**Read....and REVIEW ?!**

**I hope you liked it, I'm still in the dark, edgy mood, so here ya go! Not as dark as the last one, but the ending was edgy, right? I certainly hope so.**

**Speaking of endings....cliffhanger! Please, to find out more........read on.**

**I will be back!**


	8. A Talk with Sensei

**Hewo! My weekly installment, starting now!**

**And now......the disclaimer!**

**Kat, Charlotte, ect./ Me, Aly**

**TMNT and anything else that you've heard of before this (Green Lantern)/ Mirage and ect.**

**Enjoy.  
**

* * *

Kat felt the malicious pairs of eyes study her figure, her face, and stare intently upon the healed gash that brushed her tanned shin. The man in front's pale lips curled into a smirk.

It made her shiver.

Torie was too busied with her fallen comrade to notice the advancing gang members. White dust powdered her dark tresses as it fell from the dent in the wall above her head. She was trying to mutter comforting words to the now crippled man.

"Well, well. Look who we found boys. It's the little princess who got rescued by that freak the other night." They snickered as Kat flattened herself against the wall.

The dark ginger-headed man walked up to her, placing a gloved finger under her chin and lifting it towards his face. "Now why don't we finish what we started last night, eh? Just cough up some cash so I can take ya' on a nice date, okay princess?" His dark eyes glinted dangerously, voice laced with lust.

The typical thug.

Kat flushed uncomfortably as the man's pale lips started to close in on hers. Then, a frown replaced the worried and helpless expression quickly as she slipped out of her trance.

She was better then this...this....

Crack-headed asshole.

She smirked triumphantly, kneeing the man in the groin. Hard.

He gasped, letting go of her chin and falling to his knees, groaning as he held his crotch in pain. He only managed out one thing:

"G-get her."

* * *

**_Earlier that night..._**

Raph had parked his crimson bike in the warehouse above the lair, gently wiping the chassis free of dirt and grime from the ride here. As he punched the code into the keypad, he heard a faint shout further down the tunnel. Since he was a little out of it, he just ignored it.

Another yell, closer this time. Raph waited for the door to open.

A loud 'whoop' echoed fiercely. The hatchway seemed to have a glitch.

Something, or someone, was closing in fast. _Damn, this door is slow!_

Next thing he knew, right as the hatch began to slide open, Raphael was pushed to the ground by an unknown force colliding into him.

That's the second time today.

"Ow." he grunted as he bruised his shell. Again. The unknown force above him was whining, but laughing at the same time.

"Oh ho ho! What a rush! I should definitely take that route more often!!" The turtle opened his eyes and frowned, pushing himself off the ground to stand and glare at the 'unknown force'.

"Mikey, have I ever told you how _stupid _you are?"

His younger brother just kept laughing, rolling on his shell on the floor. He even left the collector 'Space Invaders' issue sprawled across the ground a ways off.

"Mikey? Mike?" the orange-clad turtle didn't answer. "Happy are we?"

"Oh man, Raph! I just met, like, the greatest person ever!" The older mutant chuckled.

"Who? The Green Lantern?"

"Man, I wish! But no, I ran into this super hot chick over at the comic book store! And guess what? -"

"If I say 'what', will you shut up?"

Mikey just sat on the floor with a huge cheshire cat grin plastered on his face.

Raph sighed. "What?" Mike's face lit up like a light bulb.

"SHE LIKES FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE!!!" he practically exploded. Raph sighed again and rubbed his forehead, irritated.

"That's great Mike. Good luck with that, 'kay?" The bright smile left the young turtle's face.

"Wait wait wait.....you're walking away, without hitting me, or insulting me, or exploiting intense physical and mental abuse that leaves me whimpering like a little girl in result of me acting like a total idiot?" He let out a loud girlish squeal. "Who are you and what have you done with Raphael?!"

Raph just shook his head, turning and throwing his sweatshirt on the kitchen table and started towards his master's room. On the way, unfortunately, he almost had yet another collision with his other brother, Donatello.

Knocking a few things to the ground, Don glared at him and carefully bent over pick them up without dropping any of the items that were already spilling out of his arms. But before he could do so, he found himself looking straight at them, as Raph had picked them up and put them back in the pile, now stalking to Splinter's doorway without a second glance.

Donny just stared after him, then back down to his heaping mass, and back up to see the thin paper screen close behind his brother.

Even as a self-proclaimed genius, the purple-clad turtle found himself more confused then he had ever been in his entire life.

* * *

_**With Raph....**_

Splinter's kind chestnut eyes opened to see his second eldest son enter the room, brows knitted together.

"Kneel, my son." The elderly rat frowned, concerned. "What bothers you? You seem....troubled."

Raph sighed, his golden gaze fixed on the bamboo mat his sensei was previously meditating on. "Master Splinter, I'm just....confused."

"About what, Raphael?"

The emerald terrapin paused. "Casey told me that you gave permission for me to go on a vigilante run with him, in fact, that you encouraged it....I just don't get it. You never encouraged me to actually go and bust up thugs and criminals for fun." He raised a ridge in confusion. It was Splinter's turn to sigh.

"Raphael, your friend Casey was right. I did give permission for you to go with him tonight. But I only encouraged it because of your behavior when you're here in our home."

"What?"

"You constantly get into fights with Donatello. And it seems you barely consider Michelangelo a brother anymore, but merely an invisible being. He hopelessly tries to quell your fights, but without success." The old rat sighed sadly, resting his head on a knobbly hand. "Ever since Leonardo left us for the South, and stopped writing to his brothers....it is hard for us to keep the base of this family stable....."

Raph was astonished. _Was this his fault? Was he the reason for the separation of his own brothers? His friends? His family? _He had to clutch is head to stop himself, and had to restrain himself even harder to not cry out.

Master Splinter's outburst made him realize something. That he was right. Ever since Leo stopped writing, the fights started to break out. Don was almost always secluded in his lab, Casey and April barely ever visited anymore, Mikey was always up in his room or watching TV. Then, with a jolt, Raph choked.

Mikey almost never smiles anymore.

The only time Raph had seen his little brother grin, or laugh, or even make a stupid joke for almost a year was less then half an hour ago. Now, he noticed, he had even given up making light jokes trying to lighten the mood.

_Mike..._

Raph shuddered even more when he knew that most of it was his fault too. He was never here. He was always out on his bike blowing off steam or beating up thugs nowadays. He never even tried once to bring everyone back together, like Don.

_That's what Donny's doin' isn't it? _

Trying to be the leader and control everything, to stop from anything bad happening to his brothers.

Trying to be Leo.

With that, Raphael jumped up and bolted out of the incense-scented room, almost tearing the thin Japanese paper as he yanked the door open. He grabbed his red sweatshirt and ran out the open hatch into the sewers, up to the surface.

He left leaving his two brothers staring after him and his sensei kneeling on the bamboo mat in his room, gazing after him, eyes filled with worry and regret. And, with the hope that his son will make the right decision in the time to come.

* * *

In the richer, east end of the city, a dark, watchful eye surveyed the thriving settlement below.

"I could make it so much better." he muttered ruthlessly. A soft scuttling was heard behind him.

"M-master...." a small voice stuttered. The tall man turned, his dark eyes narrowing as they met a pair of pale green ones.

"What is it, Sonya? I'm busy. You should have figured that before you came and bothered me."

"I'm sorry, Master, b-but, we found something." a shorter, pale woman whispered, her long, black hair tied up in a bun.

"And what would that be?" he spat at her.

"I-in the lab, we picked up a v-very strong energy signal on the r-radar..." The young woman began to shake nervously. She knew what this man could do to her if she disappointed him.

It wasn't good.

He scoffed, scowling at her. "Energy signal? What use is that to me?"

"W-we have reason to b-believe that it's the energy you've been l-looking for, Master." His dark orbs widened slightly.

"The stone?"

"Y-yes....it has a n-natural p-pulse."

"Guards, take miss Sonya away." he ordered as two heavily armed men grabbed the young woman by the arms and led her out of the cavernous room. The man turned and smiled wickedly at the thriving city below. He chuckled under his breath.

"Well, looks like I am going to make you better, aren't I?"

* * *

**Hehehe. I love doing this kind of stuff.**

**Read and Review PLEASE. I live off reviews.**

**_Who is this masked man? Will Kat beat the Purple Dragons on her own? What in the hell is Raph going to do?! _**

**_All and more coming soon in.....LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE!!!_**

**So read on.  
**


	9. Guns and Gas Don't Mix

**Hi, I'm super sorry! You can yell at me if you if you want.**

**I had tests to do, then my brothers came into town and there were parties.............my life got in the way.**

**Anyway, here it is! **

**Kat, Char, Torie/ Me**

**TMNT/ Mirage  
**

* * *

He sat there, leaning up against the gargoyle he had just recently made friends with and stared helplessly up at the night sky. His mind was blank.

For him, this behavior was totally out of context.

He sighed. "What the hell am I doin'?" he grabbed his head in a helpless attempt to ease his throbbing mind.

Looking at the stone creature beside him, the mutant closed his golden eyes. He had been spending a lot of time up on this cathedral. As though being here calmed him down to certain degree. As though being with stone monsters.....

Made him feel at home. Feel more accepted.

He stared across the dark street from his perch into a void-like alley way and remembered with a jolt.

That's the alley that he met Kat. Where he beat up all the thugs to help her because he thought she was just another '_helpless citizen that couldn't take care of herself against New York's most dangerous gang'_.

But she wasn't.

No, that alley was where he and Kat beat up all the thugs because they mugged her and where she brought down the walking land mass with a metal bat and a busted shin just because they took her iPod.

He chuckled, an image of the teenage girl popping into his head. She wasn't smiling, she barely ever smiled. Well, at least not in the times he's seen her.

"Wonder how she's holdin' up. Bet she didn't take my advice yesterday." he rested his hand underneath his chin, as though deep in thought. He turned to face the gargoyle. Great, now he was talking to a hunk of rock.

He stood up, staring blankly at the night sky. It wasn't polluted by bright lights or dark clouds, it was natural sky. Scattered with little drops of star light with a big crescent moon in the center. He thought of Mikey, his little brother caught in a battle he could not win.

He thought of Don, the one who was trying to save what was left of their family, but was unable to fill the void.

He thought of the void, his older brother Leo, he thought of how he tried so desperately to hate him. How, in the end, everyone needed him.

He thought of Splinter, his father. His master and sensei that always was looking for a way to solve his sons' problems and rescue their family from the dark, deep pit they had so helplessly fallen into.

He thought of Kat, the girl he had barely known for a day, and thought of her courage and strength and ferocity. Of that flame that seemed to never leave her eyes.

He smiled, and suddenly felt better.

* * *

_This is bad. This is very, very bad._

She felt the cracked wall behind her, she could easily kick it hard enough to make it buckle. But that was dangerous in in of itself. There were a lot of people in here right now, and it could cost each and every one of them a couple broken bones. Even if they were cops, they were still human.

"Come on, princess. Come and play with me..."

The purple-haired man sniggered and wiped off his blood-covered crowbar. Kat wiped her brow nervously.

_I can take 'em._

Her mind flew back to her dad. How he would say, "_That's the spirit, Sparky!"_

She still couldn't believe he called her that. "_Sparky. My little flame." _Then he'd smile at her like it was going to be ok.

_"But what if it's not, Pops?" _she always used to ask. He just shook his head and smiled.

_"It will be if you believe it. So believe in your self, Sparky."_

So she did.

Standing strong and stiff, she looked up at the two gangers, her jaw squared. Her fists were clenched and the spark in her cold eyes could make the toughest cop shiver.

"Alright, but I'm not very nice when you're mean to my friends."

Her flame was back.

* * *

He was walking silently along the edge of an old apartment building, hands in his sweatshirt jacket. He didn't even bother to pull the hood up.

At this point he didn't even care.

"Damn it, Leo." A flash of blue crossed his eyes.

It was quiet. And dark. The clatter of metal echoed in a dark alley across the way. Probably another cat.

He sighed. _Stop bein' an emo, Raph. you'll just fall in deeper._ His conscience was really getting on his nerves, but, to his dismay, it was right.

He needed, as Mikey would say it, to pep up and stop being a 'negative nancy'. Ugh.

Just then, a much louder clatter sounded throughout the city. Followed by a series of spine-tingling gun shots.

"Wha-?"

Then came the bright flash, and the boom. It hurt his already throbbing head and the light blinded him for a few seconds.

Out of instinct, he jumped up from a crouch and sprinted across the rooftops to the source.

It was in the downtown area, near Central Park and Time Square. The NYPD office was down that way. Then the police should be there by now, right?

Wrong. _Oh, god....._

The NYPD office was on fire, it was falling apart. People lay scattered around it, bleeding and burned. It blew up.

_Oh, **god**...._

* * *

**_A mere 15 minutes earlier...._**

"Ugh!...." Kat rubbed her sore and bleeding shin, her cut had slit open again. She dodged another hard blow from the Purple Dragons.

"You just won't give up, will you, princess?!" The one with the purple mohawk sneered and wiped away the steadily dripping blood from his chin. Kat growled back with an equal glare.

"What do you think?!"

She jumped out of the way as a thick rusty chain link left scattered rubble in its place. The leader had gotten up from his beetle position on the floor, and boy was he mad. She ducked to avoid another punch.

The surrounding audience of police officers just stood there, wondering helplessly what they were supposed to do. A few threw a couple punches here and there when the thugs neared the edge of the circle. She felt as though she was in an arena, like she was just fighting for spectators and enjoyment.

"What didja do this time?" she managed to gasp in between punches and kicks. She heard her jaw crack menacingly as one of them gave her an upper-cut to the chin. A hot liquid dripped off her chin.

All three laughed hysterically and kept hurling blows at her.

"We robbed that big fancy jewelry store down on Sixth." the leader laughed as he slammed his foot into her stomach, sending her flying against the wall, cracking it even more. "Aren't you proud of us, princess?"

"Stop callin' me that." Kat growled through clenched teeth. She stood up and punched the red headed Purple Dragon back to the floor. He grunted but his colleagues kept on swinging.

"Whatcha say, princess?"

"Stop callin' me that!" She gave a crescent kick and sent them both to the floor. All of them gave a groan and dropped their weapons.

"I said," Kat leaned down and glared, "Stop callin' me princess. Fags."

She heard a click next to her ear. Using her perifial vision, Kat saw another thug. He was thin and lanky with baggy clothes and spiky green hair. And he was holding a gun.

Lovely.

She slowly stood up and turned her icy blue eyes on him. He visually paled but kept his grip on the firearm. To Kat's amazement, the police around them just stood there, dumbfounded. Shouldn't they be doing something? They are cops, aren't they?

Torie had left. She had taken her injured friend into the medical room to fix him up. And, it was as though she had forgotten all about Kat.

_Oh well. Looks like I'm on my own. Again._

"Whatcha gonna do?" she menaced. "You're not tough enough to shoot that. Even if you did, you'd either kill me then be stuck in a room full of cops and be in even more trouble...or kill someone else and have me_ and_ a room full of cops to deal with." He started to sweat and lick his lips.

"Well?"

Drawing a shaky finger to the trigger, the gun clicked again. Was this guy actually going to do it? Kat clenched her teeth and let the salty taste of blood drip onto her tongue. Her eyes narrowed, daring him to pull the trigger.

He did.

But at the last second, Kat ducked and kicked him in the stomach. He fell to the floor with an 'oof' and the gun fell, but the bullet went elsewhere. Not towards anybody, even if the 'crowd' gasped as the gunshot echoed throughout the whole building, but towards some of the piping in the wall. It pierced the metal, allowing a fresh flow of gas fill the room. The rapid gush sounded like a car engine, it was purring.

Kat's eyes widened. The thugs sat up and the leader grabbed the gun laying only a few feet away from her. He pointed it at her head. Now it was her turn to go white. From what she remembered from science class, gas is deadly when it's ignited. And when a gun shoots a bullet, it lights a spark. The room was already filled with gas, so.....

Gas + fire = ...........Please, don't let this guy be stupid.

What was she thinking? It was a Purple Dragon, a thug.

Of course he's going to be stupid.

He fired, Kat jumped out of the bullet's way and watched with horror as the building exploded with her and everyone inside it.

Man, it was bright.

* * *

**Like it? I hope so.**

**I forgot to mention, the chapter where I first introduced Torie was just a character builder so I could build up Torie's place in the story. She'll show up more.**

**To be continued.....  
**


	10. Burning Up

**I'm back! **

**Another chapter, please enjoy! **

**TMNT/ mirage**

**Kat, Char, Torie/ me**

**P.S. REVIEW, DAMMIT! I mean that in the nicest of ways, trust me. I'm just tired of knowing that people are reading the story, but not giving their own opinion on it. I want to know, people!!!!  
**

* * *

He just stood there, dumbfounded. The NYPD station had just blown up.

How many people were in there? How many had died? How many are now crippled?

The only comforting thought that came to his mind was that some criminals had to be in there. At least they would be out of business for a while.

He jumped down from his perch on the fire escape and ran towards the flaming building, pulling up his hood to protect his identity and protect himself from the smoke and spitting flames.

Staring absentmindedly into the fire for a few seconds, a memory flitted through his mind. It was when the Shredder ambushed him and his family at April's apartment. The building had blown up due to the gas and fire let loose during the fight. April was devastated. And the outcome of it all was Leo getting broken inside and out.

He snapped out of it and squared his jaw. There had to be people in there. Good people that helped others. They deserved better then this.

Drawing and big gulp of air, he ran into the crumbling structure. He could barely see and the smoke intake almost made him choke, but he kept running.

"H-*cough*-Hello?" searching wildly for any sign of human life, he hit his left arm on a loose piece of broken piping. The sharp, jagged edge tore through his sweatshirt, revealing green - and now red - skin. A sharp hiss of pain cut past his teeth. It burned.

Then he spotted it, a body laying next to a cracked wall, struggling to stand up. He ran over to it, almost tripping over other unknown burning masses in the process. Kneeling next to it, he saw that the 'it' was a woman. A cop.

She had dark hair and skin and was now covered in ash. Her police uniform was burned and torn.

"Don't worry. I'll get you out of here." Despite his injured arm, he placed a hand under her arm and carried her out onto the streets. On the street, however, people were already gathering. Surrounding pedestrians from the looks of their robes and slippers. Looks like all the chaos interrupted their sleep.

"Listen," he tried, but the woman looked unconscious, "These people will help you. I hope." Some were already looking their way.

He began to head back into the fire, but stopped when he felt something grab his foot. Looking down, he saw that the woman was awake and staring at him with wide chocolate eyes.

"P-please......" she rasped shakily, "P-please, there's a girl in there......y-you have to get her out......she's done so much, s-so young........p-please save her....." His golden eyes watched her intently.

"What's she look like?"

"....Blond.....b-blue....." That's all she managed out before she had to gasp for breath. His eyes widened.

Blond...and blue?

* * *

Kat gasped pitifully, but the air was too thick with smoke to breath. Her thigh was burning with pain from the bullet. Even despite her attempts to dodge it, it still caught her leg while it was in the air. She coughed and nearly choked herself.

She crawled across the floor, searching for an opening or door. Anything with clean air.

_Stupid Purple Dragons...._her mind accused. And, ironically, Torie's police hat was still in her hand and her own black cap was on her head. She tried to chuckle, but failed miserably.

"H-help....." Kat tried helplessly before her head hit the charred floor and she blacked out.

* * *

He dived back into the flames once again. So far, he had counted seven attempts to find other survivors, but all failed. In consequence of these attempts, his favorite crimson sweatshirt had so many holes, tears, and burns that it could be mistaken for the outcome of one of Donny's 'freshly cooked meals'.

A hot metal pressed itself against his leg, leaving a black streak in its wake. He wasn't exactly in any better shape than his sweatshirt with all of the cuts and burns. At this point, he barely even felt it since he was already searing with enough white hot pain.

"Hey! *cough* Anybody in here? *cough*" He walked into a larger corridor, it looked like the main entrance to the building with the tall double doors at the end of the room.

In the corner of the room, he saw a punctured tube of metal. It was squeeling like an engine even over the roar of the flames. Then it hit him.

It _had _been gas. And then he saw the gun.

It was a shimmery silver and looked like it was on fire from the flames' reflections. It was coated in dust and seemed to have a few drops of blood on it. He couldn't help but wonder whose.

"H-hey........" He gasped and whipped around. A man was steadily and weakly crawling towards him, a hand clasped over his stomach. He was wearing baggy black pants and a loose purple t-shirt. His spiky hair was green and singed at the tips.

And he had a tattoo on his wrist. A _purple _tattoo.

"H-help......please....." Then the man hit the floor with a crack. He sighed as he stared at him. He was a Purple Dragon. Why should he help him?

He deserves this.....right?

That's when his conscience started kicking in. _He's a living, breathing, man. He has the right to live...........What would Master Splinter say?_

What _would_ Master Splinter say?

He walked over to the sprawled man, picked him up, and threw him over his broad shoulder. With that, he ran and jumped past the flames through an open window. Once again on the street, he laid the unconscious body next to the woman he had rescued earlier. She looked up at him with her chocolate eyes. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but he stopped her.

"Not yet. But I'll keep looking. I promise." She gave a weak smile and turned her head, closing her eyes.

He took a deep breath, and for the fifth time that night, he plunged back into the shattered building.

"Where are you?" he breathed silently. "Where would you be?"

_If it was me, I would try to get to the closest opening, a window or door. Something with clean air to breathe...._

The main hall. Or what's left of it anyway.

He untied his mask and retied it over top his mouth. That way it would be a bit easier to breathe in all this.

Picking up his pace, he wound his way toward the two tall double doors up front. Then he heard the sirens. They got louder and louder until they were a screaming wail that penetrated his every thought.

_About time the firemen got here.....took 'em long enough._

But this also meant that he had to get out of here. If anybody saw who, or what, he really was....who knows what could happen to him, or what Master Splinter could do to him.

He shivered despite the scorching heat.

Convinced that the medics and firemen could find anybody else inside, he started toward a shattered window, but stopped abruptly. He spotted a limp body near the punctured piping, but it was underneath a piece of fallen debris. Changing direction, he bolted over to it. The flaming piece of the wall made it hard to see the face exactly, but for some reason, he had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that who ever it was......was important.

* * *

She laid there, an odd comforting heat tickling her skin. It felt nice.

Opening a single blue eye, Kat saw nothing. Just black. With a jolt of panic, she thought that she was back in the dream. The sick nightmare world that messed with her memories. With the whole persona of her own father.

But her dad wasn't there. Hell, nothing was there.

She sat up, eyes darting back and forth nervously.

_Where am I?_

Kat jumped as her own voice projected back at her. The echo bounced endlessly off nonexistent walls. She thought that, didn't she?

Suddenly, the soothing warmth disappeared and was replaced by a biting cold. She shivered.

_What is this? And......why do I feel weak?....._

Kat started feeling faint, her eyelids began to slowly close and the usual spark in her orbs steadily began to die. With a final gasp of breath, she slumped to the ground.

Her flame was gone.

* * *

His golden eyes widened. Frantically, he began to push the burning debris of her thin frame. He didn't care how much it burned him.

"K-Kat! Come on, wake up!" Gently flipping her over on to her back, he shook her shoulders. Her face was bruised and bloody, as was the rest of her body. Nasty burns and scrapes peppered her arms.

A loud crash was heard from the back of the building, followed by shouts and the wail of a nearby siren. He had to get out of here. Looking down at the unconscious girl at his knees, he bit his tongue and picked her up, dashing out of the former police office.

Finally out on the street, he immediately bolted for the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore that he saw the police woman he had rescued earlier. She was smiling at him from the back of an ambulance. He couldn't help but grin back.

He then found himself a top the building looking over the fiery scene below. But he felt that there were more important matters to attend to. He set Kat down on the cool rooftop, her head rolled to the side.

"Kat, come on. It's me! Ya' gotta wake up!" He begged desperately. No answer. Kneeling down beside her limp body, the mutant had no idea what to do. Don was the doctor, not him.

He was the guy that got into fights and had to come home to the doctor.

Begging that the worst hadn't happened, he had nothing else to do but sit there and stare at her motionless body. After a while, he noticed the police officers' cap clutched between her fingers. And her own black one on her head.

Then it began to rain. And to his relief and disbelief, she woke up.

He could of sworn he had the urge to jump up and hug her. But he refrained.

"W-wha-?" she slowly opened her eyes, those icy blue eyes that no one else had. "What happened?....Where am I? Wh-" She stared up at him with a blank expression, clutching her head.

"R-Raph?" The cold rain had dowsed the fire and had woken her up. Now it was running down both their faces and washing away the ash and blood.

All he could do was grin.

He felt happier too.

* * *

**A cookie for anyone that can figure where (or what) Kat was in the one segment!**

**Review! and read!**

**And......REVIEW!  
**


	11. Out In The Downpour

**'Ello! I have another one to throw a you, so read it.**

**I'd like to give a huge thank you to Danni, you really are the sweetest. Also, Shahrazad1, toongeek14, and TotalFanGirl, thanks for reviewing. You really helped me out. People, follow in their footsteps. It's good to review, how else is the author going to make the story you like better? Give your imput, in a way, you guys are partly the writers of the story too. Tell us what we should make better or take out! Anyway, enough with my ranting.**

**On with the story!**

**Kat, Charlotte, and Brighton are mine.**

**TMNT/ Mirage**

* * *

Kat coughed again. Steadily, but very slowly, she was beginning to be able to breathe again. But she still burned with pain due to her injuries.

"W- *cough* -what are you still doin' here?!" she managed. Her eyes flicked back to the figure kneeling next to her. His red sweatshirt was charred and torn, but, ironically, you still couldn't see his face. He chuckled dryly.

"Makin' sure you don't _die._" Her eyes narrowed and she laid back down on the wet concrete. The cold shiver it sent up her back soothed the burns and cuts that layered her skin. So far, it had been almost half an hour since the fire. She sighed.

"Raph..." she started, staring absentmindedly up at the nigh sky, fat rain drops falling on her face. He looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For, ya' know..." A quick flash of mischief reflected in his eyes.

"Savin' your life?" Kat glared at him for a split second, but grinned.

"Yeah. I thought I was a goner there for a second." She thought of the freezing, black void."Listen, I probably should call my friend. Tell her where I am, what happened. Ya' know." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the thin black device. Surprisingly, it didn't get trashed in the fire. _Guess it didn't get burned since it was in my pocket._

"Ya' mean that Charlotte girl you were talkin' 'bout?" Kat glanced up at him and nodded slowly. Looking into his face, or what seemed to be his face, she couldn't help but change the subject.

"Why do ya' wear that hood over your face all the time?" she asked hesitently, watching him carefully. He visually stiffened, as though afraid to answer the question.

"I......I, uh...." Kat could feel the uncomfortable aura he was emitting. "T-that's none a your buisiness!"

Just as he answered, the thin phone resting in Kat's palm began to vibrate, a loud series of beeps and clicks echoing off the roof. She opened it and pressed it to her ear.

_"Kat?! Where the hell are you?!"_

"Char?"

_"Yes, it's me! Now answer my question, damnit!"_

"Okay, calm down. I'm fine. I just got held up, that's all." Next to her, Raph chuckled sarcastically. Kat shot him her best death glare.

_"IT"S 5 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!!" _

"Could you get any louder?" Kat sighed. "Look, I'll swing by your place as soon as I can, 'kay?"

_"Ok, but I'm having a friend over around 8, so could you come either before or after that?" _

"Uh, ok. I might be awhile. I'm not exactly that close..." she looked at Raph. He held up his hands in an estimate of how far they were from South Street. He held up more than an arm's length.

_"That's fine. Just...don't leave me like that! You know how I get." _Kat rolled her eyes.

"Unfortunenly, yes. I do." she hung up and sighed. Letting her head loll onto her back, she stared up at the sky. An image of her dad popped into her head again.

_Hope you're doin' alright up there, pops._

A sudden punch in the shoulder made her jump. She snapped up her head to glare at him, only to look at a pair of legs. Glancing upward, Raph was gazing down at her, expectant of her to stand up. She tried forcing her legs to set straight, but they kept slipping and going numb. She tried again and again, but with no luck. With a final heave, she pushed herself upwards to a standing position and faced Raph, but not for long.

A searing pain shot through her entire left leg, traveling up throughout her whole body. Kat screamed in agony and fell to the ground, writhing as she clutched her bullet wound tightly. Raph was next to her in an instant, holding her still as she fought to hold back tears.

The wet, hot drip of blood flowed from the puncture uncontrolably, slipping down her leg and on the ground, accumulating in a crimson puddle at his knees. Raph held her shoulders tightly, his golden eyes wide under his hood. He glanced at the tear in Kat's pant leg, and the red liquid pouring out of it.

_What would Don do?_

* * *

_Great. Just great. _

Charlotte set down her cell phone on the kitchen counter, proceeding to sit down on the couch. It was 5 in the morning. What could Kat be doing at this time of night?

"Well, at least I'll have some good company later." she smiled. He was so much fun, and liked almost every single thing she did. Suddenly, her phone began to ring on the counter. She stood from her position on the couch and picked it up, answering.

"Hello?" her face instantly brightened. "Yeah! Well, I just called my friend. She said she won't be here for a while." Char glanced out the window, then at the clock. "Of course! Ok, I'll seya soon. Bye."

Charlotte giggled happily, her light brown curls swinging on her shoulders.

She was off to a good start in this town.

* * *

"M-master?" a small voice quivered beside the tall figure. He shot a deadly glare at the stout man at his feet.

"What?" he spat. "Don't waste my time. I could do away with you at any moment of my choosing."

"Sir, w-we've tracked down the coordinates to the energy source." the small man stared at his feet, only to be kicked aside by the grander being above him. He whimpered pitifully as he hit the wall with a crack.

"I'll be down in the lab. Tell my gaurds as they come for you."

"Y-yes, sir."

The figure stalked the silent hallway down to his lab, his posture warning everyone that neared him to clear off. Pushing past the set of double doors, he walked into a large room. As though, from the future, every single device or tool in this equipt room was worth more than many people could imagine. Directing his attention to a thin, lanky man in a chemical-resistant suit, the figure pushed aside anyone in his way.

"Brighton." his low, husky voice echoed off the metal walls. The man turned to him, dark brown eyes glinting with fright.

"Y-yes, sir?"

"I was told that your team was able to discover the coordinates to the energy source I've been looking for."

"Yes, sir. We only just tracked it down a few hours ago."

"I don't care how long it took you. I just want it for my own." the tall figure smirked, his cold eyes glinting. "I don't care what it takes. I want you to find it, and I want you to bring to me. Or else there will be complications."

Complications are bad. Brighton shuddered.

"Yes, sir. Right away." The figure turned and headed swiftly towards the door. Brighton let out a sigh of relief. He stared up at the large flat-screen portraying a picture of a young teenager.

"I hope luck is on your side, miss. The best of luck. Because you're going to need it....badly."

Beside the photograph was an inscription that read:

_Taken November 14th, 2009.  
Gender: Female Caucasian  
Age: 17 years  
Name: Katherine Selina Micheals_

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed it. I had fun writing it.**

**Till next time, fellows! **

**Read and review!**


	12. Flashbacks

**Hey, I'm back! **

**Sorry 'bout that, folks. Had some computer problems that reduced me to buying another laptop.**

**Anyway, here's another chapter, hope ya' like it.**

**You all know the disclaimer, I don't own TMNT.**

**Thsi one has a bit of language in it.....sooo.....**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kat sighed deeply. After the long, tiring arguement that ensued after her painful spasm, she had barely any energy left. Raph had insisted on carrying her to Charlotte's apartment since she couldn't really walk, but Kat refused to be considered helpless.

"Against your morals?! You can't even sit up!!" Raph had argued, but it only earned him a sharp smack on his horribly burned arm.

All in all, it ended up with her holding on for dear life on his abnormally hard back. Why hadn't she noticed that before?

"It's only a few blocks away now, alright? Now quit sighing in my ear. It's givin' me a headache." Raph turned his head to look at her try not to let her head loll onto his shoulder from sleepiness. She blinked at him, her blue eyes glazed over. With a shudder, the turtle suddenly felt a hot, wet liquid leak onto his hand. He looked down only to surpress a groan. It was blood. Kat's blood.

And a lot of it. If he didn't get her attention soon....well, something bad will happen. She was already losing too much.

"Kat? Kat, don't fall asleep yet. We're almost there, just hold up for a few more minutes, 'kay? Please, just don't fall asleep!" he tried his best to keep her awake. The girl on his back now had a trickle of crimson dripping down the side of her face. From what he had heard Donny say, sleep for a concussion wasn't very good.

Kat murmered something under her breath. Turning her head to the steadily rising sun due east, her eyelids began to droop. Raph shook her lightly as he catipulted over another building, sighing. He saw the apartment building only a few roofs away, he could only hope to get there in time.

* * *

Inside Kat's mind, she was once again in the cold, black void. But she wasn't alone.

A few feet away, a small child stood. She was facing her in a light blue, black, and white sundress. Her feet were bare and pidgon-toed, the bottoms covered in dirt and mud and grass stains. Her sun-bleached, white blond hair kept falling in her face while her blue eyes, big and glossy, blinked at her curiously.

"H-hello?" the child squeaked, nervously pulling on her dress. Kat stared at her quietly. Suddenly, a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach signaled that something was wrong. This child was oddly framiliar to her.

"Hey...?" the teen answered warily. The child jumped, throwing her arms over her face and backing hastily away.

"Hey, no! Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" Kat stuttered after the small girl. She picked her self up off the nonexsistant floor and jogged after her, stopping only when the child tripped over her pidgon-toed feet and tumbled to the ground in a shaking heap. Placing a slender hand on her shoulder, Kat felt a thin scab beneath her fingers. Observing it more closely, she discovered a long, dark flesh wound, as though it had just recently been cut.

During her musing, she barely heard the small girl at her knees speak. When she did, the teen jumped, startled at the sudden intensity of the icy blue eyes watching her every move.

"W-who are y-you?" the child stuttered helplessly. Her gaze started to fill with tears, and to her surprise, so did Kat's.

"Who are y-you?" the girl repeated, her small hands tugging uncomfortably at her dress. Kat just stared, her eyes darting back and forth between the cut on the child's shoulder and the bright intensity of her eyes. Finally, she spoke.

"I-I'm Kat. Who are you?" she managed out. The girl's eyes widened alarmingly and she began to back hastily away again. Kat just sat there and didn't try to go after her.

"B-but....but....." fat tears started dripping down the girl's smooth, pink cheeks.

"But what?" Kat asked quietly, eyeing the child suspiciously.

"B-but.........my name's Kat!!" the child whispered hoarsly. "K-A-T. Kat!"

"W-wait...what?" the teen leaned forward expectantly.

"You have my name! Daddy said that I was one of a kind. Why do you have my name?" the small girl pulled her legs to her chest, revealing similar cuts on her shins and knees to the one on her shoulder.

"Hold on....how old are you?"

The girl stared at her, eyes wide with fear. "Daddy said that I shouldn't talk to stangers..."

"Look, we may have the same daddy. Just tell me how old you are. I promise I won't hurt you."

"I'm six. Just had my birthday two months ago." the girl sat up, the bright spark in her blue eyes blazing curiously. "If we have the same daddy, wouldn't that mean I'm your sissy?"

"Uh, no. Well, wa--"

"Cause I only got one brother. And Aaron's nice sometimes, but he can be a real pain in the--"

"Wait a sec! You have a brother named Aaron?" Kat gaped. The girl nodded.

"Uh-huh. Why?" Kat sat on the black ground, icy cold shivers runnig up and down her back. It made sense. The girl, her eyes, her cut.

"It's my dream, anyways." she muttered to her self, but the child shot up like a rocket.

"But this is my dream!" she cried. Kat jumped, a sudden wave of memories flooding her head.

This dream....it was the same one she had when she was little, around six years old. Right after her dad had died. The cut on the girl's shoulder, and the similar ones on her legs and arms, they were from when her mother had first beaten her. She had this dream because of the trauma the event had caused her as a little girl. Those eyes, they were hers. Those tears and scars, they were all hers.

The little girl, that was her. Well, when she was younger at least. She was talking to herself, and she was acting the same way she did right after her own mother had hit her.

Really, Kat felt bad. She could tell her that many more punches and kicks were to come her way, but she didn't want to. It just didn't feel right to. She felt like...she had to learn it on her own.

But what was she thinking? This was her dream, It couldn't alter anything in the past, they had already happened.

"Um...h-hello?" the girl began again. Kat snapped back from her daze and stared into her equally intense eyes with her own.

"Yeah?"

"A-are you....me?" she questioned. Kat looked down at her feet and nodded slowly. The girl sighed.

"Well, be careful then." Kat glanced at her blankly.

"Huh?"

"Daddy wants you to be careful." she repeated. Kat's eyes widened.

"Da--what?..." The girl smiled, brushing a stray lock of sun-bleached hair out of her face.

"We always did hang around with the weird crowd, didn't we?" she said softly.

And then it went black.

* * *

"Kat!" Raph gasped, shaking her expentantly. A dark streak of blood was now dripping silently down her forhead, leaking onto his emerald shoulder. He was standing a top the apartment building and the bright rays of the morning sun were peeking out from behind the thin dawn clouds.

"Kat, come on, wake up! We're here! Your friend can take care of ya' now. Just wake up so I can get ya' down there!" her head rolled lifelessly onto her shoulder. He sighed.

Jumping down from his perch, the turtle ran across the fire escapes and down to the main enterance. Running through the front doors, he quickly asked the clerk at the front desk for Charlotte. Luckily, there was only one Charlotte in the entire building, so that made it easy. He could tell on the way out that the clerk was about to ask him about the unconcious girl in his arms, but he shrugged it off.

"Come on, Kat." he found himself muttering. By the time he had reached the top floor, Kat's blood began to slip onto the floor, leaving dark crimson blotches on the tan carpet.

"Hey, open up!" he kicked the door with his foot once he found the correct room. "Yo! I got a half dead chick bleedin' on my shoulder! Open the fuckin' door!" There was a slight bang heard from inside the apartment and a few frantic swears, then the door was open, only to reveal someone Raph really didn't want to see right now.

_"Mikey?!"_

* * *

"Hey, wait!" but it was too late. The world around her had turned cold and lifeless, and then the images started up again.

Flashes of bright lights, the screams and cries of people in battle, the clanks and clashes of metal, the vision of the enormous full moon, and then her vision went red.

She screamed again. Her now fresh bullet wound peircing her skin over and over again, all over her body. The screams of her name filled her ears and new cuts and bruises peppered her skin.

Then it stopped in a rush of icy cold and breathlessness.

* * *

"Kat? You okay, honey?" Charlotte dumped yet another glass of ice cold water onto her friends head. She was answered with a groan. Smiling, the young teenage girl started bouncing happily.

"W-wha? C-Char? W-w-what a-are ya' d-doin'?" Kat's teeth began to chatter uncontrolably. She tried to open her eyes, but regretted trying to do so when a throbbing pain began to pulsate inside her head.

"Man, I was so worried, Kat!" Charlotte chattered, her reddish-brown curls bobbing up and down on her shoulders. "You could have died if your friend hadn't gotten you here in time!" Kat just clutched her head painfully and murmered for her to stop talking.

"Hey, Kat. Open your eyes." she heard another voice. This one was more masculine and husky. She instantly recognized it as Raph's.

"Mmph. I-I c-can't." she stuttered.

"Yeah ya' can. It probably just hurts to. Now open 'em up so I can see if ya' heads messed up or not."

"How will t-that help?"

"Your eyes'll look weird. Now open up your eyes."

"Raph, are you sure that that's such a good idea?" he was answered by another voice. This one was more high pitched, but not a female's.

"F-fine." Kat began to open her eyes and was greeted with a searing hot pain in her temple. Ignoring it, she forced harder and harder until she had a clear view of the people infront of her.

Her icy blue eyes widened, and she just barely kept herself on her seat on the couch.

Well, at least Raph finally got his hood off.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Another cliffhanger, aren't I nice?**

**Hope you liked.**

**Review!**


	13. Coming Back Around

**Hiya! **

**Okay, here's the next chappie for all you eager readers.......and don't forget to review!**

**Raph kinda gets a bit OOC near the end, but I couldn't really find a good personality for him in this chapter. **

**But anyway.........**

**Disclaimer: Kat and Charlotte are mine..........TMNT is Mirage? (You don't even know anymore!)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

She just sat there and stared. The burning intensity of her eyes was beginning to make Raph feel clammy. Mikey suddenly sat down abruptly beside him and waved one of his three-fingered hands in front of the blond's face.

"You guys are turtles..." she muttered breathlessly.

"Uh, yeah. We are." Raph rubbed the back of his neck nervously. With the immediate attention she was giving him, the turtle could barely bring himself to meet her eyes with his own golden ones.

"I must have hit my head pretty hard......" she dragged her gaze away from him and began to wipe away the blood that had started to drip down her forehead. Looking into her eyes, Raph saw that the teen did have a concussion. Her pupils were shrunken and they were flitting about slightly in irregular movements, even with the blinding morning light shining in her face from the nearby window, she showed no sign of response.

"Kat? Ya' know you got head trauma, right?" The teenager just stared absentmindedly at the soft carpet at her feet, irregular icy blue eyes glazed over in thought. Mikey waved another hand in front of her face, only to receive a hard smack upside the head from his older brother. "Will you stop that?"

"What? She seems a little.......out there..." he responded dryly. Even if Raph hated agreeing with the younger turtle, he was right. Though she had a concussion, Kat was acting odd. If he knew her, and he's only known her for a few days, he knew that if she was conscious she would try her hardest to ignore the problem and act the way she usually would. Just look at how she was at the fire. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Well, it's obvious nobody here knows how to deal with something like this, am I right?" Charlotte and Mikey nodded sadly.

"Donny would. He's the smart one, he always fixes your cuts and bruises when you come home after a fight." the orange-clad turtle suggested hopefully. Charlotte looked at him thoughtfully.

"You mean the other brother you told me about? The real brainiac that wears purple?" she questioned. Raph glared at him.

"You told her? _Everything?_" Mikey grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"I trust her." he responded simply, causing Char to blush.

"But what about Kat? If she has a concussion we should do something about it. I know that it isn't good to let something like that sit for a long time," her small hands clasped together in worry. The latter had not spoken at all, but just sat silently on the couch and gazed listlessly out the tall window opposite them. Mikey reached to wave in front of her again, but was slapped away.

"We should get her to April. Even if she's got head trauma, I don't think seein' another giant turtle would do her good." Raph stood up and faced the dazed blond. "Mikey, you call her and explain. Curls, help me pick her up." Charlotte nodded quickly and scurried over to hook her hands under Kat's arms. Pulling the young woman up from her spot on the couch wasn't that hard despite Charlotte's size. She had spent many of her younger years practicing gymnastics and swimming, causing her thin, small frame to be taught with surprising muscle.

"Here, I can't hold her forever. She may look light, but she's actually pretty heavy." The turtle nodded and took her from Charlotte's grasp, gently placing her over one shoulder. He glanced expectantly at Mikey.

"Well?"

"April said it's okay. I didn't tell her their names, though." Raph breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was a deep inquiry of identities. Charlotte was already out the door.

"Come on! I'd rather not have one of my best friends sent to the hospital! That's already happened once. I do not intend to have it happen again!" her hands were placed promptly on her curvy hips as she stood in the doorway, but the terrapins were headed in a different direction.

"Why are you going out the window? The door is right here." her hazel eyes were squinted curiously at them.

"We're turtles, if you didn't notice, and we can't just waltz through the building like it's no big deal. And we don't have time to put on disguises." Raph added hastily when she opened her mouth, "There's a brain-dead girl on my shoulder that's bleedin' down my arm!"

So, Char climbed silently through the window and didn't say a word the whole time.

* * *

In due time, the quartet finally reached April's and hastily threw themselves through the window.

"W-where have you guys been? I thought that you would never arrive!" the red-headed woman stood in the kitchen, clutching a full mug of coffee and still in her robe. Mikey had obviously just woken her up with his phone call. "Uh....Who's this?" She gestured to Charlotte.

"Uh, this is Charlotte. And the half-dead chick on Raphie's shoulder is Kat.........right?" Mikey looked at the latter. Charlotte nodded, still panting a little from all the running and jumping of buildings. April gasped and hurried over to the red-clad turtle's side, gently easing Kat out of his arms and down to the couch.

"Mikey, can you go get the First Aid kit from the bathroom?" Mikey nodded and ran down the hall. Charlotte began desperately bouncing up and down in order to get April's attention.

"What?"

"Can I help? I mean, Kat's one of my best friends and all..." Char's hazel eyes widened and glossed up. April turned.

"Of course. The more the merrier. You can help Mikey by getting the gauze and bandages." She nodded and followed Mikey into the bathroom.

"What about me?" Raph hadn't left the blond's side since she hit the couch.

"Mikey told me that you brought her in. Do you know what happened?" April began to take off Kat's gloves and hat, along with rolling up her sleeves. Raph rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, all I know is that she was in a fire. Got some pretty bad burns and cuts." April jerked her head up.

"A fire?!" she exclaimed, "Where? I never heard about it."

"It only just happened last night. It's probably on the news." He searched around for the remote until he found it underneath the coffee table. Sure enough, when he switched on the TV, a video of the accident was playing as the fire department doused the last of the fires that the rain hadn't.

"Oh my god." she turned to Kat again. "She does have some bad burns. Looks like they're almost three degree burns." A hiss escaped her teeth. "Mikey? I'll need some wet washcloths too." The latter bolted out of bathroom and ducked into the kitchen, Charlotte was close to follow, her arms overflowing with bandages, medical tape, and pain killer cream.

"Will she be okay?" she breathed. April nodded and took some out the bandages out of her arms.

"As long as we get her burns subdued and her cuts cleaned out, she'll be fine. Mikey, I need washcloths!" The turtle catapulted himself over the counter and handed April a few soaking cloths.

"Don't worry," the red-head smiled lightly at Char's worried face, "She'll be okay. I promise."

* * *

It had been hours. She had woken up, and drunkenly taken a few sips of soup. But everyone was still waiting for her to come into full conciousness, so they all fell asleep in a worried daze in the hope that she would be up in the morning.

Everyone, except Raph.

The red-clad turtle had taken up the arm chair next to the couch that she rested on and hadn't left her side despite the many reassurances from April that she wounld be fine. So, he sat there with a full cup of black coffee and his senses pricked for any sign of life.

He was watching wrestling, the only good television programming you could get at 1:30 in the morning. Really, he wasn't watching it, he was more or less staring absentmindedly at the screen.

Suddenly, there was a low groan and a rustle of cushions from beside him. Jerking his head to the couch, the once motionless figure was now thrashing about slightly underneath the weight of the numerous blankets on top of her. He jumped up and rushed over to help her tear them to the floor. She automatically clutched her forehead.

"R-Raph? W-what are you s-still doin' h-here?" her voice was thin and raspy, as though she had just spent hours screaming at the top of her lungs. The turtle's golden eyes searched her face for an answer.

"Uh, we brought you to my friend, April's place. She fixed you up real good, patched up the burns and cuts and stuff, ya' know." Her hand immediatly rushed to her leg. She only felt soft gauze and medical tape layered over and over around her thigh. Kat gazed up at Raph.

"Oh! Don't worry, she made me and Mike leave the room when she was fixin' the stuff underneath...." his face began to heat up nervously. None the less, he still received a weak smack to the arm and a small whisper of _"dumbass...."_

Her icy blue eyes directed to the two sleeping forms on the ground below them. "C-Char wouldn't l-leave, would s-she?"

Raph shook his head. "Both her and Mikey fell asleep around midnight." Her gaze suddenly snapped onto him.

"H-how long was I o-out?"

"Hmm, 'bout, 18 hours? You passed out around six thirty yesterday morning, and it's one forty-five now..." She sighed and fell back onto the couch cushions, blue bangs falling into her face over the blood-stained bandages that were wrapped around her forehead.

"You should get some rag." he stood up and went to sit in the arm chair seat, but hesitated, "Uh, Kat? Answer me one thing. How on earth did you get a bullet wound in a fire?"

She sighed again and stared at the floor, simply stating that she would tell him later when everyone was up. He reluctantly agreed.

"Hey, Raph?" she murmered softly.

"Yeah?" he sat down and took a sip of his coffee.

"Thanks for, ah, you know, helpin' me out." her voice was stronger. "And one more thing, I don't like to have secrets kept from me....had some bad experiance when I was younger." Raph assumed she was referring to him being a turtle.

"Well, I didn't wanna freak you out. And we kinda just met."

"Still, I'd like to know when my savior is a giant turtle. And who said that I would freak out?" she had taken on a playful spark in her eyes as she sarcastically glared at him. He chuckled and took another sip.

"Oh, and, uh," her voice began to drift off into sleep, "thanks for stayin' here with me...Awake." Kat nodded off, pulling a single sheet over herself.

"Ah, no prob."

The turtle stared at her silent, sleeping form and sighed. For some reason, he suddenly felt a leap in his chest, as if his heart had become airborn and was floating up to the ceiling. And for some other odd reason, he missed his brother.

For once in a long, long time, Raph admitted he missed Leo.

* * *

**There ya' go, hope you liked.**

**Review! Go on.....click that little button over there......**


	14. Recovery

**Okie dokie, let's get this show on the road! **

**I own only Kat and Charlotte**

**TMNT belongs to Peter L. and Eastman.**

**ENJOY!  
**

In due time, the group of terrapins and young women found Kat awake and moving the next morning. She surprised them all when they each found a steaming mug of fresh coffee in their face before they could even wake up. The blond had taken the courtesy of making them something to drink, and was in the midst of cooking them eggs until April forced her back down on the couch, demanding that she take the time to rest.

"You got some serious injuries in that fire, you should be resting instead of cooking breakfast, as generous as that offer is. I just don't get how on earth you even have the energy to do so." April scoffed, pushing a sheet over Kat's lithe frame. She promptly threw it to the floor, stating that if she had another blanket draped over her, she would be permanently stuck to the couch from the pressure.

"Well, you should be glad that your not in a coma." Char chortled kindheartedly. The turtle next to her nodded.

Since the time that Kat had woken up, she had suddenly grown used to the two giant reptiles walking around the apartment, barely noticing their strange features and even having construct conversations with both of them. She learned that the other turtle, the one clad in orange, was Michelangelo. Told that he was accustomed to the nick-name 'Mikey', she supposed that all of the turtles in the two's family had shortened names, considering that Charlotte and Mikey had told her all about the others.

Ironically, all of the brothers that they had described sounded like each of her friends, the one here, and the ones back home. But Kat kept that to herself.

"Are you sure you're alright?" April questioned yet again.

"I assure you, I'm fine." she sighed, "Now, would you please stop asking me that?"

"Okay, but only if you tell us how you got that bullet wound last night. It was pretty bad, and I'd like to know what my patients have been through so that I can help them any way I can." the redhead's face was serious. Kat sighed and rubbed her thigh gently.

"Alright, alright. But you better stop interrogating me after this," the blond glanced up to see if everyone was listening, which they were, and continued, "Raph asked me about it last night, and I said I'd tell him in the morning along with you guys...I got into a fight at the police station. _Before_ it blew up."

"Why in the hell were you at the police station at 4 o'clock in the morning?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. So, Kat started from the beginning, from when she ran into Raph at the cafe, to when she fell asleep in Central Park, to when the police took her back to the station. But she intentionally left out the part about her dream.

"And a little bit after I arrived at the station, the cops brought in four gang thugs from an attempted robbery. Guess who they were?" she turned to Raph, arms crossed. The turtle raised a ridge, then suddenly realized who she was talking about. Kat's only been in New York for about a week and a half, and she's had only one run-in with a gang...

"Purple Dragons." he answered shortly.

"Yep," she nodded, "the same one's that I ran into in that alley way, do you recall them?"

"Unfortunately, yes. How ironic."

"They remembered me too. Kept calling me princess, so, as usual, I got pissed and kneed one of 'em in the groin." Kat started picking at one of the many bandages that covered her arms.

"Lemme guess," Mikey laughed, "that's what started the fight?" She gave him a look.

"They had guns. Well, one of 'em did." the blond gave an exasperated sigh. "He was too nervous to actually shoot me like he said he would, but when he pulled the trigger he missed me by a long shot. The bullet punctured one of the gas pipes in the corner of the room." April's eyes widened.

"You mean," she started, "you started the fire?"

"No! Of course not! That idiot was the one that fired the gun, not me! When the bullet hit, the sparks lit the gas and triggered the explosion all around the building." Kat glared lightly at her, before continuing. "The shot ricocheted off the pipe and hit me in the leg when I wasn't looking. But I was a bit too worried about not getting blown up to really notice."

"What about the Purple Dragons?" Charlotte asked, "Did they get caught in the fire, or did they escape?"

"I don't think they escaped, it all happened too quick for that. I was out, so I never saw anything. Raph, did you?" she glanced at the terrapin. He thought for a moment before answering.

"I did see one guy, he wasn't wearing a police uniform and he had the dragon tattoo on his wrist. But he was real scrawny, didn't really look like the Dragons' would pick _him._"

"What did he look like?" Kat questioned. Raph described the lanky teen as having spiky green hair and baggy clothing. She sighed. "That was him. He was the one that had the gun."

"_Him?_ You've gotta be kiddin' me." Raph rolled his eyes. "They've really gone downhill if they're pickin' people like that."

"Well, like I said before," Char mused, "at least you're okay." Kat crossed her arms.

"I hate being bedridden though. Especially when the nurses are you guys." Everyone chuckled at her dry sarcasm.

"You really should get some more rest," April started, cutting her off, "With those kind of wounds, sleep and relaxation is really the only thing that will heal them. You lost a lot of energy in that fire."

"I bet..." And then the blond slipped back under the thin sheet that had been thrown over her, and turned her back to them.

Kat healed fairly quickly, back on her feet in a matter of days. April, being the motherly type she is, still forced tea and long naps down her throat for as long as she could, but could only keep that up for another three days.

"I'm not a baby!" she growled as the redhead forced a cup of licorice tea into her hands once more. "Now, will you stop trying to heal me when I'm not hurt?"

"It's my nature, Kat! I can't help my nature! So, just drink the damn tea and make me feel better!" April argued back before stalking back into the kitchen.

"Ugh. I swear, after this is all over, I'm never drinking another drop of tea in my life." Beside her, Raph chuckled. The terrapin had barely left the apartment during her stay, opting for sleeping on the floor rather than sleeping in his own bed back home in the lair. "I still can't believe you're still here."

"What? Can't a guy stick around for a bit? Make sure the chick he rescued from a fire isn't dead, I certainly wouldn't want to have gotten these burns and scars for nothin'." he smirked cheekily. She scowled at him.

"Not my fault, you know. They were the ones that shot the gun, I just got in the way." Kat turned up her nose, crossing her arms. Just as she was taking the final sip of tea, the door burst open to reveal two reptiles adorned in long trench coats and fedoras, though the long tails of their colored bandannas trailed behind them. The bulkiness was unmistakable.

"I see Mikey," Kat wondered aloud, "Who's the other one?" Raph scoffed, noting the deep purple of the second figure. Mikey took off his disguise, tossing his coat over the back of an armchair. The other was more hesitant.

"Oh yeah. Donny, this is Kat. She's the one I was tellin' you about earlier. The one that got caught in the fire at the NYPD station." Mikey grinned at her, Kat didn't return his excitement. Rather, instead of smiling, she huffed and glared at the one he adressed as 'Donny'. This made him even more uncomfortable.

"Uh," he started, "Hi?" Giving an awkward wave, he removed his fedora to show olive green skin spotted with freckles and soft, kind brown eyes. Kat's lower lip jutted out.

"Why are you here?" she questioned. "Sorry if I'm being hasty with the attitude, but these two idiots are your brothers. I'm not that trustworthy of people on first introductions."

"Well, that's understandable. Though, I bet Raph told you some bad things about me anyway." the turtle quickly turned his attention to his red-clad brother sitting behind her. She was observant enough to catch the glare that passed between the two. It vaguely reminded her of her relationship with her older brother, but that's slowly disintegrated since they haven't spoken to each other in years. Both dismiss the opportunity to see the other, usually in a rapid barrage of obscene insults toward the opposer. Her mother gave up trying long ago.

"Donny? Is that you?" April's voice echoed from down the hall. In a matter of seconds, the redhead peeked out into the living room. After seeing the terrapin, her eyes were directed to the empty mug in Kat's hands. "Did you finish your tea?"

"Yes, mother." she answered mockingly. "Can I go and play with my friends now, or do you want me to do my homework too?" April rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You can relax now. Did you just meet Don?"

"Yeah."

"Well, maybe they can take you down to meet Splinter; I'm sure he'd be delighted." A look of confusion crossed Kat's face at the name. "I don't want you sitting around watching TV all day. You've been doing that for almost a week. Get out, do something." April pulled herself back into the bedroom and left the four teens to mingle amongst themselves.

"Splinter?" Kat broke the silence after a minute or so. All three brothers looked at each other.

"He's our sensei." Donny answered. "A master, or teacher, so to speak."

"I know what a sensei is." she pulled back her hair, allowing the stray bangs to fall over her eyes. "But is he human? Or another turtle like you guys?"

"Oh, no," Mikey laughed, "He's a rat, not a turtle."

An awkward silence moved throughout the room as they all waited for this information to sink in.

"Wait," Kat whispered, "Did you say, a rat?"

"Yeah huh."

"So let me get this straight," she started, rubbing her brow, "You guys are giant turtles...who practice ninjitsu...and are trained by a giant rat?"

"A giant rat with a walking stick," Mikey added cheekily. From that point, you could tell that Kat was trying desperately to keep her laughter contained.

"Well then, I believe that I need to see this with my own eyes." she stood and took a wobbly step forward; soon regaining her balance, she started towards the door. "Now, were do you guys live? In an abandoned apartment building or warehouse or something?"

"Hehe, no. We live in the sewers."

From the sudden delirium that took over Kat's mind, it was a miracle that she didn't bang head-first into the wall. All three brothers then burst out laughing.

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